Diary of an Orphan (re-written)
by BlAcKdAuGhTeR
Summary: Jenna grew up alone in an orphanage with no knowledge of who she was or where she came from. It wasn't until an owl arrived with a letter for her, and a man named Remus Lupin walked into her life, that she learnt she was so much more than she originally thought and her life would never be the same again.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody said my life was free of fear and danger, if somebody told you I was just your average, ordinary girl, not a care in the world ... somebody lied ...

I guess I should start from the beginning, seeing as that's usually a good place to start. Perhaps I also better introduce myself or you'll think these are just the ramblings of a nineteen-year-old girl who has nothing better to do with her time.

My name is Jenna Black and I'm part of a large community hidden away from all those who are different. I'm part of the wizarding world since I'm a witch. My heritage is … questionable. I am more than a half-blood, but I'm not a full pure-blood. I am somewhere in between, a happy medium should I say of the two. My father, if you haven't guessed by my given name, was Sirius Black. He married my mother shortly after they left Hogwarts in the middle of a terrible war. Her name was Tala Lupin. She was the younger sister of one of my father's best friends from school, Remus Lupin. He is my Uncle and the man who raised me and taught me to be who I am. A man I'm truly grateful towards.

Anyone who knew my father knew what a good man he was. At school he had a small handful of friends whom he considered his family as his own despised him. He and his best friend, a boy named James Potter, were the ringleaders of the Marauders, a name their group took on during their fifth year of school. They and their other two friends, my Uncle Remus and another boy named Peter Pettigrew, would run riot round the school. Well James and Dad would do most of the dirty work while Remus would merely observe. It was through his friends that my father rebelled against his family who considered him a disgrace. If they ever knew about me, I too would be an outcast for my own … abnormalities …

I've been told many times how much I look like my father. He had shoulder length black hair that fell neatly in layers around his face, the same colour and sleekness as my own long hair. The inherent good looks of the Black bloodline made him a very handsome man in his youth, the very same genes that have made my own beauty be placed under scrutiny by those who aren't aware of my family history or indeed through pure jealousy. I have been aware of this "family trait" for years as well as the unwanted attention I receive because of it but, alas, there is not much I can do about genetics. His eyes, however, were grey like the rest of his family's; mine are not. Dad was known for his mischief and disobeying of the rules at school, not to mention his cheeky grin which, according to Remus, I also inherited.

My Dad met my Mum at school. She was in the year below him and his friends at Hogwarts and sister of his best friend, Remus, as I've already told you. When they first met their relationship was … rocky, to say the least. Mum was distrustful of him and James because of secrets that she and Remus had and it took time for her to warm to her brother's friends. In time she did see how much they cared about him and in turn, how much they came to care about her. She was always around them because of Remus and so was an unofficial member of the Marauders when they became united because of Remus's "furry little problem" as James liked to call it and they found out Mum was also a rather unique witch herself. I won't go into that now but will do so in due course. She and Dad were flirtatious with each other throughout their later years at Hogwarts until an argument with a certain Slytherin named Severus, where Mum and her friend Lily were both called terrible slurs in wizarding terms, and they admitted their feelings for each other. To my understanding, they were together ever since.

As much as I look like my father, there are many obvious traits I possess which are clearly more my mother. While I have black hair like my Dad, its length could rival my mother's, reaching all the way down to my waist. I'd never wanted to cut it. My eyes though, those were my Mum's, a strange blue that were startlingly bright. I also got her stubbornness, a trait that Remus has told me many times is a little too familiar for his liking, as well as her desire to protect the ones I love. Now that was something that I wouldn't want to change about myself regardless of how many times it has put me in danger over the years, and probably never will.

Remus. Now, he was the sensible one of the group and mature way beyond his years. He was intelligent and responsible and "tried" to keep out of the trouble that Dad and James normally caused, even if he did find their pranks amusing. He was even made a Prefect much to their disappointment. They thought it would mean he'd ruin their fun. Remus, despite his problems and his fears, was always there for his friends and his sister, just like he was then there for me. He did fail though in his promise to his parents that he'd keep Mum out of trouble but with him as an example, what did he expect?

I owe so much to Remus. He found and raised me when I was lost and alone, and he helped me get through some of the hardest times in my life. Without him, I don't know where I'd be. Probably still where I was all those years ago, an outcast hiding in the streets, running away from people who didn't understand me. Remus helped me through difficult times and was always there for me when I needed him. He showed me how to believe and trust in my magic. But my life at the start was not full of magic or potions or mythical beings like what I know now. My life was very different – yet somewhat similar – to a boy we all know: Harry Potter.

This is my diary: the Diary of an Orphan.


	2. Abandoned

Chapter 1

Abandoned

I don't remember much of my younger years. I have memories from then but none that truly tell me what happened the night I was abandoned. You see I didn't grow up in the wizarding world. In fact I spent ten years living in a Muggle orphanage in Surrey. I had no knowledge of who I was and more importantly what I was. I was just some orphan picked up off the street with no history and no family, nothing to tell me anything about my past. My earliest memory though I can still recall as clear as the day it happened. I'm not even sure if it really is a memory as I was way too young to even be able to know what was going on but it feels like a memory all the same. It's the one of my mother being killed.

I learnt all I could from Remus and Dad about what happened the day my Mum was killed. It happened very shortly after I was born. A group of people calling themselves Death Eaters, followers of the Dark Lord Voldemort, had killed her. Everyone in the wizarding world knew of this Dark Lord's pursuit for power. That time is even known as the First Wizarding War. He and his Death Eaters had killed countless of innocent victims, wizard and Muggle alike, all in pursuit of blood purity and superiority over the Muggle world. The wizarding community had been scared into submission so no one would have thought twice about helping a lone teenage witch with a baby. It was a time of every wizard for himself. There was no way her death could have been stopped.

It had been a late summer afternoon in September. She and Dad had gone to Diagon Alley as they were running short on supplies. The street, however, was deserted. Wizards and witches alike lived in constant fear at that time. Why would there be people outside when most feared they'd be attacked in their own homes by Voldermort's followers? While Dad had gone to get some gold from their vault in Gringotts, Mum had been waiting outside tending to the restless infant me. The Goblins had asked her to step outside when I'd started crying. Out of the corner of her eye she had spied some known Death Eaters and decided it was best to hide. After that, Dad didn't know what happened. All he knew was what he believed Mum had done before he found her body in a back alley behind Flourish and Blotts, her daughter nowhere to be seen.

It was from encounters with Dementors when I got older that made the memory more vivid. They have the power to make you relive your worst memories and that was the worst one I had. Her voice in the memory is always crystal clear. It was so calm, as if she knew what was going to happen and was prepared for it. I guess you had to be in a time of war. The clearer the memory became for me, the more I learnt about what happened that night. How the three Death Eaters had cornered her in the alley and tried to get her to join them in exchange for her life. Mum had rejected their offer without hesitation. What I didn't understand at the time though was why she tried to reason with them, as if she knew the people about to kill her. It wasn't until I paired the memory with information I learnt over time that I realised she _did_ know them and I understood why she did it.

When the lead Death Eater – the man with white hair, I knew him as until I learnt who he was – gave her one last chance to spare her life, again Mum refused. Her last words still haunt me to this day.

 _Then I'll die trying_.

The green light passed right through her, killing her instantly. She fell to the ground, lifeless and her blue eyes empty. I don't really know how I survived. Dad said I should have died that day as well but whatever my Mum had known or done was what saved me. The Death Eaters Disapparated when they heard footsteps coming from the far end of the alley. It was Dad but he had known already that he was too late. He told me how he cried over her body, no baby in her arms, believing that he had lost both of us. It was only when he heard my cries over his own that he found me. He Apparated the three of us straight to a safe house they'd been living in and reported her death. Mum was the first of the friends to die. James and Lily were devastated by the news; Remus was almost torn apart from the grief. They would never know what Mum had found out, that a once loyal friend was now their enemy.

In time I came face to face with two of my mother's killers. The third had already died, killed shortly after my Mum's death for insubordination from what I could tell. I was horrified by how much they were linked to me: one a friend of my parents, one a relative of mine through his marriage, and one my own family. It was hard for me to deal with seeing these people and not wanting to cause them as much pain as they had caused me but in time I learnt that wanting vengeance for something I couldn't change was not the way to live my life. I'm not saying I forgave them. I just knew wanting revenge would only cause me more grief in the long run.

A year passed. Between them Dad and Remus took care of me while they and James and Lily continued to work for something called The Order. Eventually James, Lily and their baby son, Harry, went into hiding after news was received that Voldemort was after them. Tensions were tight between the friends, so much so that Dad even stopped trusting Remus and began confiding in their other friend, Peter Pettigrew. When James asked Dad to be their Secret Keeper, Dad rejected the offer, instead suggesting that Peter was the better choice, as Voldemort was less likely to come after him. They made the switch with everyone, even Remus, none the wiser. On the night James and Lily died, Dad had gone to check on Peter only to find to his horror that Peter was missing. Unsettled by what he saw Dad had rushed over to James and Lily's house with me on his motorcycle. He arrived to find their home in ruins and James and Lily lying dead in the rubble. Only baby Harry was still alive. Dad made to take him when a man called Hagrid turned up and told him Harry was to go to his aunt and uncle's. Reluctantly Dad agreed and, taking me from the sidecar, gave Hagrid his motorcycle because he wouldn't need it anymore. When Hagrid was gone Dad Disapparated with me in his arms and reappeared near to where he knew Lily's sister lived to make sure Harry was safe. Hiding me in some bushes in the park he'd materialised in, Dad rushed off to wait for Hagrid to arrive. I don't even remember if he came back.


	3. Refuge

Chapter 2

Refuge

I don't have many memories from my time at the orphanage, or should I say many _good_ memories. The orphanage itself was called The Refuge, the name implying it was a place of safety for people like me. It was a place where children were left if their parents couldn't look after them any longer or, in my case, were abandoned as babies. I had been found lying in my basket by an old couple taking a late night walk in the park. They had taken me to The Refuge the next morning when they were unable to locate my parents. There I lived without any knowledge of where I'd come from. I didn't even know my name. All I had besides the clothes I was wearing and the blanket I was wrapped in was a gold locket with a "J" engraved on the front. With no name and only a "J" as a clue to who I was, it was up to the Matron to give me one: Johanna. I thought it was an awful name but it was better than no name at all.

It wasn't until I was six years old that I learnt my name was actually Jennifer. While I was still a baby Matron had kept the locket in her office for safe keeping until I was old enough to wear it. She returned it to me on what was my "sixth birthday", the anniversary of the fifth year since I arrived at The Refuge. That was my unofficial birthday as my actual one was unknown. With my locket returned to me, naturally I was curious as to whether it had any information about my past connected to it. Upon inspecting it, I found the "J" which had led to me being called Johanna. On the side was a small latch meaning it could be opened. I slid my thumbnail in the joint and flicked the locket open. On one half inside was a picture of a woman with dark red hair. She looked really young. I wondered who she was and what relation she was to me. On the other half was one word: Jennifer. I showed it to Matron and, though doubtful, she allowed me to be re-named Jennifer. It wasn't much but it made me feel better, feeling that I now had a connection to someone somewhere.

I spent ten years at that orphanage. That was more than most who did. But things weren't easy. In fact they were far from easy with me.

For the first few years I was one of few children living at The Refuge. The number of us differed from month to month. At one point there were fourteen of us living there: five girls, including me, and nine boys. Some were older than I was by a year or two but none had been there as long as I had. The Refuge wasn't meant as a permanent home for any of us but unfortunately that's what it was for me. There were two dorms each with eight beds: Birch and Tyne. The girls' dormitory was Tyne, which I shared with the other four girls. Everyone had a trunk with things that had been left with them when they had arrived at The Refuge. All I had was my blanket and my baby clothes. I didn't own that much and even what I did own was mostly second hand. We slept on old rickety metal bed frames with thin mattresses and greying sheets. The Refuge didn't receive much funding or donations so whatever we did receive was always put on building repairs or food for us.

As I said, Matron had a lot of problems with me. I was about four when things started to go wrong. Small things like toys getting broken or items going missing but these things always happened around me and I couldn't explain it. This continual blaming, especially by a girl called Mandy, an obnoxious redhead who was my age, for things I had nothing to do with eventually spurred me to just be naughty. If I was going to get blamed for it, why not just be responsible in the first place? I became disobedient and disruptive and so Matron placed me under constant supervision. For three years Matron did her best to dissuade me from my bad behaviour but it never worked. I even adopted a nickname, Jenna, because I became sick of Jennifer being associated with all the bad things I did. In an attempt to placate me, Matron made the mistake of telling how I came to be at The Refuge, thinking that it would make the seven year old me be less resentful to the place that took me in. Let's just say from that moment on all my unintentional disruptiveness became much more intentional.

I hated what Matron told me. I hated her for telling me. What seven-year-old wants to be told that they were abandoned? She'd called me to her office and told me about the day I arrived. How I had been just over a year old according to the doctors who'd checked me over when I was found. Matron had said that I was found in a park on a cold autumnal night in October six years previous, my parents nowhere to be found and nothing but a blanket to keep me warm, and that the only reason I could have been there was to be left to die. I didn't want to believe her. Who would? I jumped up from my chair and screamed at her that it wasn't true. That was when I did my first bit of magic and I didn't even realise. As I screamed that Matron was lying to me, the mirror in Matron's office suddenly shattered without reason to. Shocked and angered, I ran from the room and out of the building. I ran all the way to the nearby park, the park I'd actually been found in, and took refuge in the playhouse. I remained there for sometime until Matron eventually found me and I had to return to the orphanage.

I'd always wondered what had happened that night. At the time I had none of the information I have now and so all I could do was believe what Matron had told me. I didn't want to though. I'd always thought that I had been abandoned by accident and that someone out there was looking for me. Now I wasn't so sure.

The incident with the mirror became the first of many where I used magic without actually realising I had. Whenever I became angry or one of the other kids called me a name, something strange always then followed. Things like a vase breaking; food burning in the oven and drinks becoming unbearably sour; and most disturbingly, something being set on fire. That only happened once when I was extremely angry; Mandy had been taunting me about my parents and abandonment. Next thing I knew the curtains behind me were on fire. All these accidents made the other children very wary of me and I became even more of an outcast than I already was. It was only after the incident with the curtains that I became scared of what I could do. After that I isolated myself in my dormitory to avoid anything like that happening again. As much as I disliked the other children I didn't want to hurt them.

It wasn't just when I was awake that these strange occurrences happened. I'd always had a vivid imagination. Even when I was asleep my dreams were so wild they felt almost real. So real that one night, when I was dreaming of being a dog and I was chasing a ginger cat (whom I assumed was a representation of Mandy) that when I woke up suddenly I was shocked to find I was the dog in my dreams. Actually physically a dog! I changed back almost immediately but I was very freaked out. Now I was changing into animals? What was wrong with me? I settled back down on my bed, my heart still racing slightly from the shock, and lay awake for the rest of the night.

As I got older, I changed a lot. I was quite tall for my age and my black hair was sleek and straight. It just didn't seem to stop growing no matter how many times Matron got it cut, and was halfway down my back by the time I was nine. I was also extremely skinny which proved an asset when it came to hiding in small spaces. Of course, being the troubled child I was, Matron just thought I wasn't eating and had made me visit the doctors several times to see if I had an eating disorder. The only thing that stayed the same were my blue eyes; unusually bright in colour I learnt how to cloud my guilt when I had done something wrong. Mandy would always rat me out regardless.

I never got on with any of the other girls in The Refuge, particularly Mandy. She'd been at The Refuge on and off for the last three years. Like I said, most of the other children were wary of me but there was one boy named Rick who was brave enough to approach me when I seemed upset. The reason I disliked Mandy so much was because of her continual taunting of my background: the unwanted child who was such a freak even her parents didn't want her. She loved rubbing it in that she still had family and her stay here was only temporary while her parents were away whereas I had no one at all. I tried my best not to rise to her taunts but sometimes I couldn't help it. Another reason I tried to keep myself to myself.

My attitude was a big problem because I was never afraid to fight back. If I wasn't fighting with the girls, slinging insults at them as they threw them at me, I was caught in a fight with one of the boys, pushing and shoving them as they did the same to me. I wasn't just going to let them bully me and not do anything about it. If I wasn't in trouble for fighting with the other children, I was in trouble for wandering off from The Refuge or when we were on a day trip, resulting in the police usually returning me to the orphanage. It was usually the same one, a friendly young policeman who would always sit with me first before taking me back when I was ready. It was on his suggestion that Matron look into me going to school. School wasn't really an option for us due to the orphanage's lack of funding and so only those whose family paid for them got to go. I only knew how to read and write because Matron had taught me. I learnt all the basics from her.

With Matron dismissing the idea of me going to school I remained as I am. I stayed in my dormitory away from the others, only leaving it for meals and the bathroom. I entertained myself with reading anything I could get my hands on which wasn't very much. The Refuge's book collection was rather limited so I ended up reading the same books multiple times. When it came to the weekly day-trip out I reluctantly left my dormitory to go on it with the others to visit the local shops or go to the cinema or visit the park, only because I saw it as an opportunity to get away from the other children for a few hours when I inevitably wandered off. It was on one of these day trips I stumbled across a place I'd never seen before. I had walked off from the museum visit Matron had organised for us and had been looking for a library when I saw this shabby-looking building hidden between a café and a computer game store. I looked round. No one else seem to realise the building was there. Slightly unnerved by this, I pushed open the door and walked in.

The library didn't look like a library when I entered. I expected to see a desk at the front with an old lady standing behind it to assist people in checking books in and out; to see the books sorted into sections like fiction and non-fiction, children and young adult; to see a seating area where people could read books before they checked them out to see if they liked them; and a computer where you could see if the book you wanted was stocked. I didn't see any of this. Sure, it had books. Stacks of them, in fact, all piled haphazardly on top of one another from floor to ceiling. But there was no seating area, no computer, and no check-in desk. There were people in there though, people dressed in strange looking clothes with their heads in old, worn-out books. In fact, upon closer inspection, all the books looked to be at least a hundred years old and about to fall apart. Some even had chains tying them together. I cocked my eyebrow at that, both confused and a bit worried.

As I stood at the entrance I had an eerie feeling that I was being watched and, sure enough, when I looked to my left I saw a tall, rather old-looking man was standing next to me. I jumped when I saw him. He was watching me, a curious look on his face; his beard, a dark brown with flecks of silver in it, reached just below his shoulders and had a string round it to keep it neat. Upon his nose sat a pair of circular spectacles through which he looked at me with a pair of piercing blue eyes. He too was wearing the same strange clothes as everyone else, nothing like I'd seen people wear before. They looked almost like robes.

'Can I help you?' he asked me. His voice was very polite. It startled me how nice he appeared.

'I … I don't know,' I admitted. I didn't. I had no idea why I did come in this strange little shop nor did I know what it was I was looking for. 'I just saw the shop and came in.'

The man observed me. I flushed, embarrassed by the attention this man had focused on me.

'Hmm, I think I know exactly what you're looking for.'

The man walked off towards the back of the shop. I watched as he walked off. I had no idea what was going on. Still, intrigued and slightly amazed, I followed. I watched silently as the man ran a long finger along shelf upon shelf of dusty old books. He muttered to himself in a low voice, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at me, searching for something. I just stood there, silent and dumbstruck. After a few minutes searching he pulled a particularly worn and tattered book off a shelf and took it back to the front of the shop. Again, I followed. The man was wrapping the book in some brown paper and string.

'Just bring it back when you're finished with it,' the man told me. He handed me the book then ushered me to the door. 'Oh, and I thought you might like these,' he added. He took my hand and placed a bag of what looked like sherbet lemon sweets in it. 'My brother loves these but I've never had a taste for them. If you see him, will you give them to him for me? There's also a little something extra in there for you. Enjoy.'

The man turned swiftly on his heel and walked off. I stared at his retreating back. I then looked at the book and bag of sweets in my hand. What had just happened? A man who had no idea who I was had just handed me a book without asking for payment and a bag of sweets that I'm pretty sure I shouldn't take. A loud _dong_ from the clock tower bell rang outside. It was four o'clock. I jumped and ran out the door, shoving the book and sweets into my backpack. I'd already been in trouble once that day for starting an argument over who had finished the milk. Matron would kill me if she realised I'd disappeared again from the museum trip while she had taken Simon and Robert to the dentist. Then again, I knew Mandy would tell her anyway so what was the point in hurrying?

I made it back to The Refuge just as the rest of children and Sarah, the person who'd taken us on the trip, did. I tagged on to the back of the group knowing Sarah wouldn't have even noticed I'd gone; she was a part-time volunteer at the orphanage and was very lax in her care of us. Ahead of me though I saw Mandy send a smirk at me. I knew what that meant. I kept my head down as we walked inside and snuck off to my dormitory. I shut the door behind me, went over to my bed, and pulled the book out my bag. I wiped off some of the dust from it so I could read the title. The words were too worn though for me to make out a name or the author. From downstairs I heard the main door open and close meaning Matron was back with the boys. I opened the cover but before I could even read the first sentence I heard footsteps hurrying up the stairs and the door to my dormitory burst open. Matron, face red with exasperation, strode over to where I sat on my bed and snatched the book from my hands. Beside her Mandy stood grinning evilly at me.

'After wandering off from Sarah's care yet again,' groaned Matron, 'I find you sitting here, God only knowing what you've been up to, with a book that does not belong to the orphanage. Where did you get this?' she asked me, holding the book in front of me just out of my reach.

I hesitated. I couldn't tell her where I got that book. I didn't even know for sure myself what exactly that shop had been. She wouldn't believe me even if I told her the truth, that the shopkeeper had leant it to me. But I had to say something. I had to get the book back. It might have the answer to why strange things kept happening to me for all I knew. Suddenly panic swept over me. What if it did have strange stuff like that in it? The shop had been weird enough so what was actually in that book! I didn't dare imagine what she'd think if she read it.

'It's a library book,' I said. 'I'm borrowing it.'

'You don't even have a library card!' snapped Matron. 'You wouldn't be allowed to borrow a book without one so how you got this book I can only begin to imagine.'

'I didn't steal it!' I said desperately. 'The librarian said I could borrow it! I didn't take it without asking!'

'Jennifer!' snapped Matron again. I fell silent. 'I've had it up to here with your troublemaking!' Matron shouted at me. Beside her Mandy was loving watching me get told off for the umpteenth time. I sent her a glare as she smirked at me. 'For years I have tried my best to look after you, to make you feel welcome here, and all I get in return is your destructive behaviour. Breaking things! Stealing from the other children! Setting fire to the curtains!'

'That was an accident!' I protested. 'I don't know how the curtains caught fire!'

'I hoped that you would learn from the other children, that you'd learn to behave from the example they'd set, but I'm running out of options. If you can't learn to behave from your friends then I am at a loss of what to do you.'

'I don't have any friends,' I said spitefully before I could stop myself. 'Mandy keeps spreading lies about me, making them tease me by telling them my parents didn't want me.'

'Jennifer!' said Matron reproachfully. She gave me a disappointed look. 'I will not have you blame others for your misfortune,' she continued, this time more calmly. It was the same voice she used the day she first told me about my parents. 'Jennifer, I have explained this to you time and time again. You were found alone in a park with no parents to be seen with nothing but a blanket to protect you from the cold autumn weather. You would have died if Mr Williams and his wife hadn't found you. Your parents heartlessly left you there. For all we know they're probably lying in a gutter dead somewhere like you could have been.'

'No!' I yelled. Beside me the light bulb in my bedside lamp exploded with a sharp _crack_. 'My parents didn't abandon me! They're not dead! I wasn't abandoned!'

I pushed past Matron and Mandy and ran out my dormitory. Matron didn't even stop me. She knew I'd come back. I always do. I ran back downstairs and out of the orphanage. I kept running for as long as I could until I reached one of my hiding places. I curled up into a ball and started to cry. I remained there until after darkness had started to fall. I'd heard some footsteps approach where I was hiding and I saw it was the same policeman as usual who had come to find me.

'I thought I'd find you here,' he said gently. He sat down next to me, his kind eyes appraising me. 'What happened this time, Jenna?'

I looked at him, startled. He'd called me Jenna. No one ever called me that.

'I ran away again,' I mumbled. I rested my chin on my arms, hunched up.

'I can see that,' said the policeman. 'But that doesn't tell me what happened.' I looked away. 'Jenna, I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong.'

'I wandered off from this museum trip Matron organised and found this weird bookstore,' I told him. 'The shopkeeper let me borrow one of his books but Matron confiscated it from me, thinking I'd stolen it, because Mandy snitched on me.'

'Jenna.' The policeman sighed. 'You shouldn't have wandered off, you know this. You could get hurt out here by yourself.' Reluctantly I nodded. 'I'll speak to your Matron. Come on, let's get you home.'

Eventually the policeman coaxed me out and got me back to the orphanage.

And so I became more isolated from the rest of the group. Some of the children left either from remaining family picking them up or being adopted. I always hated Adoption Day. Matron would make us all dress in our smartest clothes and line us all up in the main hall as prospective parents were being interviewed. Then the couples would take turns in meeting each of us, asks us some questions, and choose whose file they wanted to see. Whenever they'd look at me they'd comment on how quiet and shy I seemed until they'd see my file and instantly be put off from all the records of my bad behaviour. I only did the Adoption Days thinking that there was a chance my parents would turn up relieved to find me but they never came. Eventually I stopped doing the Adoption Days, instead choosing to remain in my dormitory rather than put myself through the same outcome again and again. Despite my attitude, the one thing I didn't do was give up hope. I don't know how but I knew someone out there was looking for me and that one day they'd find me.

The following day I was called into Matron's office. The policeman had indeed spoken to her about my wandering off from the museum trip and once again brought up the subject of putting me in school, reasoning that because I was so unhappy at the orphanage perhaps sending me to school might actually help control my behaviour. Being at a loss with what to do with me, Matron had reluctantly agreed and enquired around the local primary schools to see if any would accept me. Most had been reluctant to take on such a badly behaved child with as poorer background history as mine apart from one: St. Grogory's, a small primary school to the east side of Little Whinging. I was informed I'd be starting it within the next few weeks even though term had already started. She didn't give me the book back though.

A few weeks after that meeting I joined St. Grogory's. It was a short bus ride away from The Refuge so Matron organised a bus pass for me to get to and from school. There wasn't a uniform to wear so that was an expense spared for the orphanage but it did mean I had to wear my old second-hand clothes to school. On my first day Matron took me to meet Ms Roemmele, the Headmistress, and I was left with her to be taken to what would be my class. I followed silently behind her with my head bowed as she took me to a classroom on the opposite side of the playground to the main building containing the assembly room and her office. She knocked on the door then took me inside. A class of twenty-five or so eight and nine year olds watched as I walked in behind Ms Roemmele. I shrunk away from their stares.

After a quick word with the teacher, Ms Roemmele left the classroom.

'Class, this is Jennifer –' she hesitated, looking at me questioningly. I shrugged. I had no surname, what did she expect me to say? 'Jennifer,' the teacher repeated to her class, 'and she's from the local orphanage. She's going to be in our class so I want you all to welcome her and treat her the same way you treat each other. Make sure you give her a hand if she needs help to catch up.'

I felt my cheeks grow red. Did she have to announce I was an orphan? At the back of the class I saw five rather large looking boys snickering and pointing at me. I shrunk away even further. The teacher pointed at an empty seat on one of the tables and told me to go sit on it. I did so obediently, keeping my eyes down. There were five other children on my table but I didn't look at them. Opposite me sat a boy with broken glasses; when the other kids had turned back to the front when the teacher had resumed the lesson, he was the only one to keep looking a me a bit longer than everyone else. I ignored him and got on with the work the teacher set us.

School was not how I imagined it to be. In fact, it was exactly the same as being at the orphanage, I just had different people staring at me. Being the new girl no one wanted to know me and because I was an orphan the other kids kept laughing and whispering as I passed them in the playground. It also turned out that the snickering boys from my class were a bunch of bullies. Within the first week I watched as every playtime they beat up some poor kid in our year group from either our class or the other Year Four class. Their favourite target was the black-haired boy with the broken glasses who sat on my table. His baggy clothes probably didn't help the problem. I actually felt kind of sorry for him. This boy never seemed to be around anyone else in the playground or class if he wasn't being bullied. I'd watch as the larger boy chased him round the playground wondering why someone hadn't stood up to him yet. But knowing I'd rather be here and alone than at the orphanage and alone I decided to keep my head down and out of trouble.

It wasn't long until the large boy and his friends got round to bullying me after his usual targets. I'd been in school for about a week when he approached me in the playground. I had been minding my own business, like I usually did, reading a book I'd got from the school library at the far end of the playground by the wire fence. I was just about to turn the page when my book was snatched out of my hands. I looked up. The large boy and two of his friends were standing in front of me, the largest of them holding my book up in his hand. I got up.

'That's my book,' I said simply. The boy just grinned at me.

'Not anymore,' he laughed. 'I'm Dudley. This is Piers and Gordon.' He gestured at each of the boys behind him. 'You're new here so you won't know that we rule this playground. We've taken this book from you so now it's our book.'

'So?' I scoffed. 'What do you plan on doing with it? It doesn't have any pictures in it so I guess you won't be reading it.'

As usual, I acted before I thought through what I was doing and opened my mouth too wide. Dudley's piggy eyes narrowed at me. I saw a vein start to protrude from his temple.

'I can read!' he said. 'Probably better than you can, Orphan!'

'I'm not an orphan,' I respond. I gritted my teeth, trying not to rise to the comment.

'Orphan! Orphan! Orphan! Orphan!'

Next moment Piers and Gordon gasped and stopped their chanting. In front of them Dudley was wiping the clod of mud I'd just thrown in his face. Dudley glared at me.

'Get her.'

I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have thrown that mud at Dudley. But he deserved it. I ran as fast as I could through the playground as Dudley, Piers and Gordon chased after me shouting 'Orphan!' loudly so everyone could hear. Kids were stopping their games to see what was going on. I was glad I was quick on my feet. Dudley and the others were struggling to catch up with me. But they had the advantage. They knew the school, I didn't. I ran round the back of the school to find a dead end, nothing but wall and fence. I stared at the wall of the lunchroom before turning round to see the three boys had caught up with me, blocking my way back to the playground. The other Year Fours had followed to watch the new girl get beaten up. Some of them were even chanting 'Orphan!' like Dudley had been.

'Not so cocky now, are you?' Dudley jeered at me. I hesitated. I hated being cornered like this but if I bought myself some time I might be able to think of a way to get out of this.

'You know I've never thought much of bullies,' I said, loud enough so those gathered could hear me. I really wasn't sure what to do but I was going for it. 'They only hurt other people because they're scared no one will like them.'

The vein in Dudley's temple darkened. He glared at me. I smiled slightly. It was then I noticed the black-haired boy who was usually being bullied staring at me almost in awe.

'You've asked for it now.'

Dudley swung his massive fist at me. I ducked and he went flying past me, hitting the wall. As he cried in pain, Gordon and Piers had a go. They came at me at the same time. I stood my ground, staring at them, ready to dodge their fists. Suddenly, I'm not sure how, their fists erupted into a collection of angry red pimples as if they'd been stung by a bunch of bees. I just watched as they shook their hands and howled in pain. It had happened again. I did something without meaning to. At that moment all I could think of was Matron was going to kill me when she found out I'd been fighting in my first week of school.

'You'll pay for that!' said Dudley angrily, eyes bulging.

Once again he came thundering at me, swollen fist raised ready to hit me. I stood my ground. I waited until he was at punching range of me. Dudley swung his fist at me. I ducked so it missed me and stuck my leg out to my left. The momentum of Dudley's punch carried him forwards and his fat ankles hit my leg, tripping him up. He went flying forwards and landed flat on his face. For someone his size, it was actually quite graceful to watch. Dudley sat on the ground cry and holding his grazed knee. I watched as he bawled his eyes out while everyone behind me … was cheering? I turned round to see the Year Fours all celebrating the fact Dudley had got his comeuppance. Even the boy with broken glasses seemed particularly happy as he watched Dudley crying. I didn't have time though to bask in my somewhat strange glory. Despite his tears, Dudley had gotten back to his supported by Piers and Gordon and they were all glaring at me.

I backed away, and said, 'I guess I ought to be going then.'

I pulled from my pocket a small black bag of what I thought were pink and purple marbles. They had been in the bag of sweets the old man from the bookstore had given me. A note inside had said _Use when in trouble_. Well, if I wasn't in trouble now. I took a small handful of marbles and threw them on the ground. I expected them to roll over the ground so that when Dudley and his friends chased me they'd slip on the marbles and fall over again. What I didn't expect was for the small marbles to burst into puffs of pink and purple smoke upon impact.

How I got on top of the roof, I don't know. The strange pink and purple smoke from the marbles just seemed to spread everywhere around me, and the next moment I'd landed with a small thump on the roof of the kitchens. Stumbling forwards, I knelt down at the edge to see a teacher had come to see what the commotion was about was dispersing the Year Fours. Dudley was speaking to the teacher and by the looks of how he acted, he was playing innocent to the bullying he'd just been doing. When the teacher had gone I watched as Dudley started to chase the boy with the broken glasses again. I guess I didn't really teach him a lesson after all. Either that or he was taking his defeat out on the boy. They both ran away from the lunch building, the boy with broken glasses pushing over a rubbish bin and jumping over it –

I started. The boy had … vanished …

'Hey!'

I looked behind me when I heard a voice shout at me. The boy with the broken glasses was sitting precariously on top of one of the old chimneystacks.

'Can you get me down?' he asked me.

I nodded. Carefully I walked up the roof tiles towards the chimney. I made a step with my hands for the boy to use as he climbed off the stack. He slid down off the stack using my hands for support then hopped on to the tiles beside me. He looked relieved to be back on slightly more sturdy ground. With the boy off the chimney I sat down on the tiles to wait for someone to find us and for the trouble to start.

'What's your name?' asked the boy. 'You didn't seem to like it when the teacher called you Jennifer.'

Taken aback, I replied, 'Jenna, and no, not really. My Matron always uses it when I'm in trouble at The Refuge.'

'Is that where you live?'

'Yeah, that's the name of the orphanage I'm from.' I pulled my legs up to my chest, placing my chin on my knees. 'I hate it there.'

'Where are your parents?' continued the boy.

'I don't know,' I muttered in reply.

The boy fell silent for a moment. Next he said, 'My name's Harry. I'm sorry about Dudley. He likes picking on those who are … different.'

I looked at Harry, curious by his choice of words. He looked back at me then gave me a smile. He pushed his broken glasses back on to his nose, blinking a pair of almond-shaped green eyes. I hadn't seen a pair of eyes that green before; they looked kind of like emeralds. It was then I noticed just above his right eye on his forehead was a thin scar peaking out from behind his fringe. It looked like a lightning bolt. I wonder how he got that. I then turned away. It felt weird, Harry being nice to me. I didn't really know what to do.

'So what made you take on Dudley?' Harry asked, breaking the silence between us.

I shrugged, 'He took the book I was reading. I wanted it back. I wasn't going to let him push me around just because I'm new and an –' I shuddered slightly, 'an orphan. I get that enough at the orphanage.'

'I know how you feel,' said Harry. I glanced at him. 'I _live_ with Dudley. His mum's my Mum's sister and I live with them.'

'Why?' I asked. 'Where are your parents?'

'They died in a car crash,' Harry replied. 'That's how I got the scar.' He pointed at his forehead. He must have seen me looking at it. 'I was left at my aunt and uncle's house the day of the crash. They've taken care of me ever since. Growing up with Dudley, well, the sellotape is about the only thing that holds my glasses together now.'

'Harry Potter! Jennifer –!'

Harry and I flinched when we heard the voice of Ms Roemmele come from below. There was even the same hesitation when she said my name, realising I had no surname to use alongside. Shouting at people always seems more forceful when both names are used, not that I didn't find hearing "Jennifer" being shouted at me cringe worthy as I always knew the reason behind it. Harry and I looked at each other and I was surprised to see we were giving each other the exact same look. The look that knew we were in trouble.

Matron went ballistic when I gave her the letter from Ms Roemmele about being on the kitchen and lunchroom roof. She couldn't believe I'd been in school for a week and had already been caught fighting – I assume Dudley had snitched on me even though he'd been the one bullying me – _and_ climbing the school buildings. I tried to explain what really happen, about Dudley taking my book and the strange marbles but as usual Matron wouldn't hear me out. Still Matron was surprised that I'd actually kept out of trouble for the entire first week and so merely grounded me for the next few days as punishment instead to go with the detention I'd received from the school. She did give me the warning though that if my behaviour didn't improve I would be removed from the school as they were only doing it as a favour and so it could be renounced at any moment. Ultimatum given, Matron dismissed me to go wash the dishes for dinner.

With my behaviour being the only thing that was keeping me in school I did my best to keep out of trouble, as I didn't want to have to go back to spending every day at the orphanage. School at least gave me a brief reprieve from it. Granted there wasn't much difference between the two. I was either being bullied at the orphanage or I was being bullied whenever Dudley managed to catch me. At least I had a friend. The day after my first encounter with Dudley, I found to my surprise Harry waiting for me when my bus arrived at the school. It seemed we both had found someone who we had something in common with and our friendship started from there. It was strange but nice at the same time. I finally had a friend and I did not want to screw it up.


	4. A Different World

Chapter 3

A Different World

Three years passed by and they were the best in my life to date. I finally had a friend in this bespectacled boy, Harry, who I met because of his cousin Dudley when he tried to bully me. During class we sat opposite each other on the same table and did our best to get paired together for class assignments whenever we could; at lunch we'd sit together and push around the kitchen food that they provided those of us who didn't get packed lunches from our parents, Harry always looking hungrily at whatever he could see his aunt had packed for Dudley's lunch; and at break-time we'd hide somewhere within the school grounds away from Dudley in order to avoid being teased by him yet again. Through this time we spent together I got to know Harry pretty well and learnt that I had a lot in common with him, something I didn't realise was the exact thing I needed to help me deal with my problems.

Harry's arrival in my life had a strange impact on me. I became calmer and more in control of my temper. It was like having someone who knew what it was like to feel alone and being picked on all the time was all I needed to make me _not_ feel so alone. I finally had someone I could talk to. I told Harry everything. Well almost everything. I told him about how I ended up at the orphanage and how I knew nothing about my past. How the other kids picked on me because of not having any family and because I'd always be blamed when things went wrong. I didn't tell him about setting the curtains on fire or about the bookstore though. I think even Harry would be wary of me if I told him I'd set curtains on fire when I'd gotten really angry. Harry sympathised. He knew what it was like to live with people who disliked him; his aunt and uncle made him live in a cupboard under the stairs and forced him to wear Dudley's second-hand clothes; and he knew what it was like to be blamed for things that weren't his fault such as his hair growing back after he got a bad haircut or turning our teacher's wig purple.

Through Harry's friendship and his influence my behaviour improved at The Refuge. I wasn't getting into trouble half as much as I used to, nor was I starting as many fights with the other children. I watched as the children came and went over the months and became no longer bothered when the new ones learnt of my weirdness from the current ones. Even Matron was surprised at how much I changed over the few years I attended St. Grogory's. Now I was normally found sitting somewhere around The Refuge with a book I'd brought from school to read as it was the best way I found to keep myself to myself or I was keeping myself busy doing my homework. I didn't argue about any chores I got set and I no longer ran away whenever I got overly emotional, instead going to sit in the small back garden to picture myself talking things through with Harry until I'd calmed back down. As long as I knew I'd see Harry again either the next day or after the weekend, I knew I'd be OK.

Soon the end of the school year arrived which meant that I'd be finishing St. Grogory's Primary School in a matter of days. I was now roughly eleven years old and so I was due to be starting secondary school in September. Harry had told me he was looking forward to it, knowing that he'd be going to the local secondary, Stonewall High, while his cousin Dudley and his friends would be going to the prep school, Smeltings Academy, so he was no longer going to have to endure Dudley's bullying at school. When he asked me about whether or not I'd be attending Stonewall as well, I had no answer for him. I didn't know if Matron was going to allow me to continue school or not. My behaviour had improved but like I said I was still getting in trouble once or twice a week. I didn't know if this would be enough to convince Matron to let me go to secondary school. And if it weren't … then I'd never get to see Harry again …

The last days of school went by too fast for my liking. I stared at the clock all through the lessons wishing I could just stop time and not let school end. The final bell went at quarter past three and it was all over. I gathered my school exercise books and my pencil case and put them back in my bag for what could be the last time. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness knowing that I now how to spend two months without Harry's company and without any knowledge of whether or not I'd see Harry again in September. I left class without him and headed to the front of the school to wait for my bus. I figured if I didn't say goodbye I wouldn't miss him. One by one the school buses arrived. Mine was the fourth to pull up in the car park. I followed the other children who got on my bus when I heard someone shouting my name.

'Jenna! Hey, wait up!'

I looked round to see Harry running over to me. I hesitated, not wanting to speak to him, before taking my foot off the step on to the bus and walking over to meet him.

'What's the deal, Jenna?' Harry asked me. 'Aren't you going to say goodbye?'

'I kind of figured if I didn't say goodbye then you wouldn't miss me,' I said, my voice quiet. 'I still don't know if I'm going to Stonewall in September. There's a chance we won't even see each other again.'

'Jenna, even if you don't come to Stonewall, that doesn't mean we won't see each other,' reasoned Harry. 'We can still meet up at the weekend and stuff. I looked up where your orphanage is so I can always get the bus into town to come visit.'

'Really?' I asked. I didn't dare hope that Harry meant what he said.

'Promise,' Harry assured me. In the distance Harry and I heard the familiar bellowing of his uncle's voice yelling at Harry to get in the car. 'I better go,' Harry said. 'I'll see you soon, Jenna.'

Harry waved goodbye and ran off towards his uncle. I waved back and got on the bus, flashing my pass to the driver. Despite Harry's assurance we'd see each other again, I remained doubtful. I didn't want to get my hopes up and so decided to put my friendship with Harry behind me and move on. Least that way I wouldn't get upset over no longer seeing him.

The summer holidays were lonely for me. No Harry to talk to, no homework to be done, no new books to read from the school library. The best I could do was content myself with looking at my old exercise books and going over my old school work just in case Matron allowed me to go to Stonewall. I was able to busy myself with them for the first week or so of the holidays but soon they lay at the bottom of my trunk never to be opened again. The best time in my life was now over so I figured I might as well get used to spending my days back at The Refuge.

What did happened that summer though changed my life forever.

I had now been at The Refuge for ten years by the end of the summer, meaning my "eleventh birthday" was also due. By now I merely let my "birthdays" pass by. Not knowing what the actual day was meant I cared very little for the event. Matron had asked me if I wanted to do anything special for the occasion but I told her I didn't. I was happy to just stay in my dormitory like I had done for the past three weeks of the summer holiday. I had other things on my mind anyway. I was almost a teenager. Soon I would be too old to live at The Refuge much longer which meant that if I didn't get adopted soon I'd be sent to what was called a "halfway house", a place where teenagers were sent to get more practical help from social services to get jobs in the future. With all prospects of school gone, I did my best to make the most of my remaining weeks at the orphanage.

I was now the oldest child at The Refuge. Only Mandy, who had left and come back numerous times over the past six years, was as old as I was. Naturally you'd think the new children would look up to me but with Mandy's influence they regarded me with a strange curiosity and fear. The number of times I'd catch the younger ones peering in through a crack in the door to my dormitory while I sat at on my bed with them running off when I noticed them, I'd lost count. I shook my head then resumed my ignoring of them.

At night I lay awake in my bed for hours after lights out thinking about what was ahead of me and coming up with no answer. Just like I had no past, I now had no concrete future. What was the "halfway house" going to be like? Was it going to be another permanent home for me or would I still live here and go to this other place for counselling and advice on how to get a job? It was during one of these late night musings that I heard a tap at my window. I pressed the light on my alarm clock and saw it was ten to midnight. I pulled back my curtain to peer outside. The night was clear and cloudless, the stars tiny dots in the black sky. Unable to identify the source of the tapping, I closed the curtain again.

 _Tap, tap, tap_.

I sat up and pulled the curtain open again, this time all the way. A large tawny owl was perched on my windowsill. It tapped its beak on the window again. I blinked. What on earth …? It looked like it was waiting for me to open the window to let it in. _Tap, tap, tap_. Not wanting it to wake the others, I quickly unlatched the window bolt and pushed up the frame enough so it could get in. The owl bent down and swooped inside. It was then I saw that it had something clutched in its beak. It dropped it on my bed then flew straight back out of the window again. I closed the window and sat crossed-legged on my bed. I picked up what the owl had left for me. It looked like a letter. It was made of a strange paper though. It felt more like parchment in fact, the type of paper used centuries ago. On the front of the envelope were words written in glistening black ink. I could just make out the words in the moonlight.

 _Jennifer Black_

I stared at the words. The letter was … for me? But it couldn't be. I didn't have a surname. I was just Jennifer.

 _Tap, tap, tap_.

I pulled back the curtain again to see a _second_ owl sitting on the windowsill waiting to be let in. It also had a letter clutched in its beak. I let the owl in. Just like the first one, the owl swooped in, dropped the letter on my bed, and flew straight back out the window. This second letter was larger and heavier but again on the front it had a name _and_ an address written on it, this time in emerald green ink. On the back was a wax seal with a strange crest bearing four animals: a lion, a badger, an eagle and a snake. It looked like a school crest of some sorts. None of the schools around Little Whinging had a crest like that. I turned the letter back over to read the address.

 _Miss J. Black  
_ _Second Bed on the Left, Tyne Dormitory  
_ _The Refuge  
_ _Little Whinging  
_ _Surrey_

I stared at the letter. How did whoever sent it know my bed was the second on the left in Tyne? How did they even know I lived at The Refuge? I looked at the two letters in front of me. They had come from different people as far as I could tell judging by the different writing. Who could have sent them though and why would they be sending them by owl? I didn't know anyone other than the other people at The Refuge so who was writing to me? A part of me was tempted to just throw them into the bin and ignore the letters. Another part of me was curious to find out who was writing to me. I reached into my bedside table and pulled out my torch. Pulling my bed sheets over my head I switched on my torch. I turned over the second letter I'd received and slid it open. Inside were two more sheets of parchments. I took them out and unfolded them.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
_ _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
_ _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock,  
_ _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Miss Black,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please  
_ _find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
_ _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely_

 _Minerva McGonagall  
_ _Deputy Headmistress_

And on the second sheet:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

Uniform  
 _First-year students will require:  
_ _1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
_ _2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
_ _3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
_ _4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

Set Books  
 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 _by Miranda Goshawk _  
A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot _  
Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling _  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch _  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore _  
Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger _  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander _  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment  
 _1 wand  
_ _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
_ _1 set glass or crystal phials  
_ _1 telescope  
_ _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

I stared at the letter. I didn't know what to think. I'd been accepted at some school where they taught magic by the sounds of it and I needed to get a wand and robes. It all sounded like a big joke. There was no such thing as magic, nor was there anywhere in Surrey that I could get a wand or robes or a cauldron. I re-read it. It definitely said " _Witchcraft and Wizardry"_ and that I needed a wand and wasn't allowed a broomstick and that my reply to was due by the end of July, which was next week. I wasn't dreaming.

'But magic isn't real,' I said to myself. 'It can't be.'

Magic. All I knew about magic was that it existed in stories and fairytales. Magic didn't actually exist. I won't lie that at times I had wished magic was real, that it could be the reason for all the strange things that always happened around me, but I was old enough to know that magic was just a concept and not an actual thing. It was just something adults told children about to amuse them and make them laugh. It was nothing more than an idea to keep kids entertained.

I put down the letter dismissively. It was just some joke probably by one of the other kids. I didn't know how the owl came into it but it sounded like a prank they would pull on me. I mean it wouldn't be too hard to make up a surname and pretend it was mine to make me think the letter was real. It wouldn't be difficult to make up names like "Hogwarts" and "Dumbledore" and make them sound convincing. I glanced at the other letter. That one was probably a prank too. There was no point in even opening it. I stared at it for a couple of minutes, debating whether to do so or not. I sighed. Even if it was a prank, might as well find out what the prank was.

I re-read my name. _Jennifer Black_. I rolled my eyes. Black. What a poor choice for a surname. They could have at least come up with something more original. I turned it over and opened the envelope. I tipped out the contents on to my bed. Three small pieces of card and a small parchment note fell on to my bed. I raised my eyebrow. If this was a prank, it was a very strange one. Why would someone send me what looked like photographs? I picked up the note to see what it said.

 _Jenna. Here are some photographs of your family. I'm looking for you._

My heart jumped. The letter said my nickname – Jenna. No one knew I used that name except from Harry and the policeman who used to bring me back to The Refuge whenever I ran off. Quickly I turned over the pieces of card. They were indeed photographs but they weren't any sort of photograph I'd seen before. The people in them were – moving! I did a double-take when I realised that I wasn't imagining it. The people in the photos were actually moving! I looked through them one by one. The first was of a group of four people, two adults and two kids: a mum and dad with a son and daughter. The parents were smiling proudly at their children while the brother and sister grinned at each other, sharing a thought only between them. The second photo was of just the children but they were older in this one. I guessed they were probably teenagers. They still grinned at each other but this time brother had his arms wrapped protectively around his sister from behind. He must have been the older sibling. For siblings they didn't look much alike. The brother had neat brown hair that was swept back off his face and brown eyes while the sister had dark red hair and blue eyes. The only similarity was their smile, the same small smile that looked warm and friendly. I moved on to the last photo. This time it was just the girl. She was standing in the grounds of a castle dressed in a pair of what looked like school robes. A graduation, perhaps? She looked barely eighteen and her hair reached all the way down to her waist. She was looking up at the castle before turning round to face the camera. I started. She seemed to look right at me. The girl smiled and waved, as if she knew I was looking at her.

I blinked, unsure what to believe. I turned over each of the photos to see if there was anything written on the back of them. There was something written in an elegant handwriting but I couldn't make much out, only a name. Tala. I looked at the photo again. The longer I looked at it, the stranger I felt. The girl … She seemed familiar to me, as if I knew her. The long dark red hair, the blue eyes, the kind smile. All of it, I felt like I recognised. But where? Where could I have seen her before?

 _I'll die trying!_

I gasped, dropping the photo. I clenched my eyes shut as I saw the same green flash of light I'd seen so many times before. There was this dream I had. I'd had it on several occasions over the years and it was always the same. A female voice shouting and that strange green light. I didn't know what it meant as it was so vague or why I kept having the dream but it had haunted me for years. I shook myself, taking a deep breath. I was freaked out. I quickly put the photos back in the envelope then put both letters in my bedside table. I didn't want to think about them, not after seeing that light again. I told myself silently that it was all a joke, that none of what I'd just read and seen was real. Saying that, if that second letter with the photos had been a prank, well, it was a pretty convincing one.

The letters lay forgotten in my beside table draw. I hadn't touched them since the night I received them. I didn't want to see that flash of green light again. It was bad enough that since I got the letter, I started having the dream with the green light more often again. Matron actually started to think I was getting sick, as I wouldn't get out of bed the following couple of days after I got the letters. As much as I didn't want to think about the photos though, I couldn't help myself. After a few days I braved pulling out the letter again. I'd been thinking a lot about the girl. I couldn't shake the familiar feeling I had whenever I thought about her. It had been while I was looking at her photo one afternoon that I finally realised where I knew her from: from under my t-shirt I pulled out my locket and flicked it open. Sure enough, the same blue eyes and kind smile was looking at me from the locket as it was from the photo.

I became obsessed with the photo. I had so many questions I needed answers to. Who was this girl and what importance did she have to me? The note had said the photos were of my family. Was she my sister? Was the boy my brother too? Were their parents my parents? From how old they looked in the photos – eighteen at the oldest I assumed – if the photos were current then it was possible these people were my older siblings. I'd only be about eight years younger than them. But why was the girl the one all of the photos seemed to focus on? What was so important about her?

'Jennifer?'

I looked up from the photo when I heard Matron calling my name from just outside my dormitory. I remained silent. I never answered whenever I was called to these days. Instead I stayed where I was on my bed and returned to staring at the photos.

'The freak is on her bed,' came Mandy's voice. I glanced up again to see her standing just in the doorway with her head peering round it. She was pointing at me. 'She's staring at those weird cards she won't let anyone see again.'

I frowned. They weren't weird cards but she wasn't to know they were photos.

'Mandy, don't call her a freak,' said Matron, despairingly. She must have had enough of our constant resentment but that was never going to change. 'It's not her fault those … strange things happen around her.'

I heard the door open. Again I didn't react. Matron walked away from Mandy and waded her way through the countless toys that the younger kids had left scattered on the floor towards my bed. Despite being aware that Matron was making her way over to me, my attention remained on the photo.

'Who are you?' I whispered to it. 'Why have I got your picture? Why do I feel like I know you?'

'Jennifer?'

I jumped when I heard Matron say my name again. I saw she was feet away from my bed. Quickly I shoved the photos back into their envelope and placed it back in a box sat on my bedside table. The box contained all my private stuff: my baby blanket and baby clothes, the locket that I currently wasn't wearing because of Mandy had broken the clasp when she tried to steal it when I was in the shower, and the letter from that school, Hogwarts. I jumped a second time when I felt Matron's hand on my shoulder. I gave her a startled look. What had I done now?

'Jennifer,' Matron said, 'some people have come to see you.'

'What people?' I asked. 'They can't be here to adopt me. No one ever does.'

'They didn't say,' replied Matron curtly. 'One did say he was a professor so I assume they're from the school's student counselling department.'

'A shrink?' I gaped at Matron. 'But I've behaved! I haven't done anything bad in weeks!'

'I didn't ask questions, Jennifer,' said Matron. She was starting to get annoyed. 'They just want to talk to you, that's all. Now come along.'

I watched Matron carefully then reluctantly got off my bed. I grabbed the box from my bedside table as Matron placed her hand back on my shoulder and began to lead me out of the dormitory. She always did this just in case I tried to make a break for it. In the stairwell a bunch of the children including Mandy were watching as she led me downstairs. Mandy smirked at me. I looked away, tightening my grip on my box. Matron marched me downstairs and through the corridor towards her office. We walked in silence. I was too nervous to talk. I hated having to meet people, especially when they were potential shrinks. I'd had counselling in the past and I loathed it, sitting in a room while someone watched you and asked you questions about how you felt while making notes on a clipboard. I swallowed when we reached Matron's office. My heart was pounding in my chest. Matron opened the door and gently pushed me inside.

I peered round the door as I walked into the office. There were two men and a woman inside sitting at Matron's desk. They had been talking quietly amongst themselves but fell silent when Matron and I arrived. They all looked at me. I stared back at them. The three people were wearing the exact same sort of clothes as the people in that strange bookstore had been. They were all wearing robes. The elder man was eyeing me through a pair of half-moon spectacles that were perched on his crooked nose, his blue eyes twinkling in an odd way; he had long silver hair and matching beard tied neatly with a string about halfway down; and he was wearing the strangest pale blue robes that had tiny gold stars embroidered into the material. Beside him sat a rather severe looking woman. Her black hair was tied back in a tight bun and her square glasses made her look very strict in comparison to the elderly man she was sat next to; her robes were not as bright either, instead a dark shade of green with a tartan pattern. She was eyeing me closely. I felt myself shrink away instinctively from her. Then there was the third man. He was much younger than his companions, and much shabbier too. His robes were all frayed and patched, their brown and grey colour faded from constant wash and wear; even his hair seemed to be greying before its time while his face, though still young, looked thin and tired. His brown eyes, however, seemed full of life and he was staring at me with a strange curiosity. It was almost unnerving.

I tried to back away from them but Matron blocked the door.

'Jennifer, this is Professor Dumbledore and his colleagues,' she introduced them. 'They have come to talk to you in private.' Matron turned to them next. 'I'll just leave Jennifer with you. If you need anything I'll be in the reception.'

I panicked and turned to Matron, frantically mouthing, 'Please don't, I –'

'Jennifer, behave,' hissed Matron. 'They only want to talk. It'll be fine.'

'Have a nice chat,' she said to all of us.

Matron closed the door. She was gone. I swallowed, scared about what was going to happen. I could feel the three adults all looking at me. Slowly I turned round to face them. I could feel myself shaking. I watched the adults apprehensively as they in turn watched me. After a few minutes of silence the older man stood up. He walked towards me where I stood by the door. From inside a pocket in his robes the man took out a long piece of wood. With a small flick a chair suddenly appeared from nowhere and landed beside me with a small _thump._ I jumped, staring at the chair that had appeared from nowhere, my eyes wide with shock.

'Please,' began the old man, 'sit down. I find rooms to be cluttered when one stands unnecessarily.'

I stared at him then slowly nodded. I backed away and sat down in the chair, surprised to find it was real.

'Um … w-who are you?' I eventually managed to stutter as I tried to stem my nerves.

'My name is Professor Dumbledore,' replied the old man. He smiled at me. 'I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is my colleague, Professor McGonagall. She is Head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and also the Deputy Headmistress of the school.' He gestured at the woman. The edge of her thin lips lifted into a curt smile. Those names, Dumbledore and McGonagall. They sounded familiar. My eyes narrowed in confusion as he introduced his companions. 'And this is Remus Lupin, an old student of the school.'

I looked at the young man. He was no longer staring at me, instead now looking at me with a calm, controlled manner. He gave me a smile.

'It's nice to meet you, Jennifer,' he said gently. I couldn't help but note how friendly his voice was.

'And you,' continued Professor Dumbledore, drawing back my attention, 'do you know who you are?'

I was taken aback when he asked me this.

'I'm Jennifer,' I replied, confused. 'Just Jennifer, but I actually prefer Jenna.'

The young man reacted when I said this.

'You don't have a surname?' persisted Professor Dumbledore.

'Um – I – well …' I looked away. 'No, I-I don't have a surname.'

'Ah,' said Professor Dumbledore lightly. He was still smiling despite his surprise. 'So you don't know who you are or where your family is?'

Ashamed, I nodded.

'Hmm.' Dumbledore paused, then said, 'May I have a look in that box?'

I looked at the box in my arms. This had all the personal things I owned inside it. These were things I didn't want anyone else to see. They were important to me. I didn't want anyone else to touch them in case they damaged them like Mandy had damaged my necklace. Professor Dumbledore held out his hand to me, asking me again silently to allow him to look in the box. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle at me as if to tell me he meant me no harm and that I could trust him. Slowly, I nodded. I handed the box to him.

'Thank you.'

Professor Dumbledore turned back to where Professor McGonagall and Mr Lupin were still seated. He took his seat beside his colleague and opened my box. They began to examine the contents, quietly conferring to each other about what was inside. I hesitated when they took out my broken locket. I didn't want it to get even more damaged than it already was. I watched as Professor Dumbledore held the chain in his long thin fingers; next moment he was tapping his wand on the clasp and I saw it was suddenly fixed again. While they studied my things, the younger man, Mr Lupin, was still watching me. I stared back silently. He got up and began to walk towards me. When he was at his full height I saw that his robes, shabby as they were, were stitched in several places and the ends were all muddy. My eyes didn't leave him as he approached me until he was standing over where I sat. He then knelt down in front of me so that we were eye to eye. I didn't look away.

'Long black hair,' he mused out loud. 'It's almost down to your waist. And blue eyes, the same strange blue. Just how I thought you'd look. Just like _she_ looked.'

My heart jumped.

'Just like who looked?' I asked nervously.

'Your mother,' replied Mr Lupin simply.

'You knew my m-mother?' I stuttered. My heart was now pounding once again in my chest. I swallowed as I felt tears begin to sting at my eyes.

'Indeed, we did,' replied Professor McGonagall. He tone was brisk, just like her accent. She and Professor Dumbledore had finished looking at the contents of my box. 'We knew her very well.'

'But –?' I started to ask but Professor Dumbledore appeared to have a more pressing question for me.

'We shall answer all your questions in time, Miss Black,' he said lightly. I started when he addressed me as "Miss Black". I said I didn't have a surname. Why did he address me like that and more importantly why did he use that specific name? The very same name that had been on that letter I'd received. 'But first I must ask you something. Can you tell me how you received this letter?'

He held up the envelope that contained the photographs.

'An owl brought it to me,' I replied. 'It arrived at my window a few weeks ago and wouldn't stop tapping on it until I let it in. It left the letter on my bed then flew off. I also got this.' From my pocket I pulled out the other letter I'd received the same night: the letter from Hogwarts. It was quite tattered now. 'It's a letter saying I'd been accepted at this school, the one you said. Hogwarts or something.'

'I see.'

'Remus,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Take a look at this photo.'

I watched as she handed her the photo of the brother and sister.

'No, please, that's personal!' I shouted before I could stop myself. I made to grab it but Mr Lupin had already taken it from Professor McGonagall. He looked at it, his eyes narrowing.

'Who is this?' asked Mr Lupin. He sounded almost shocked.

'I don't know,' I said quietly. 'There was a name on the back but I couldn't read the writing. I think the girl is called Tala. I don't know who the boy with her is.'

Mr Lupin turned the photo over. He read the words on the back of the card. I stared at the girl in the photo. She was smiling at me again. The boy behind her gave her a gentle nudge making her look at him. She glanced at him over her shoulder then looked back at me and waved. I stared at her, a desperate aching in my chest. Again I could feel that familiarity. Her smile just made me feel reassured, as if things weren't as bad as they seemed. And her eyes, they were so blue just like – just like my eyes! And her hair – it was the same length my hair was! I started. Mr Lupin noticed my reaction to the photo. His eyes flicked up to me. I gasped. He had the exact same style of hair as the boy in the photo. Even his eyes were the same brown and had the same kindness inside them. It couldn't possibly –!

'"Tala, aged seventeen",' he read aloud. '"May your journey into the wizarding world begin. With much love from your brother, Remus".'

Remus! That was the name of the younger man!

'So she is the one we're looking for, Albus?' asked Professor McGonagall.

'She is indeed, Minerva,' replied Professor Dumbledore. His blue eyes turned from his colleague to me. 'This is Tala's daughter.'

'No!' I burst, unable to hold it any longer, jumping from my chair. I couldn't do this! I didn't want to hear any more lies about my parents! 'You're wrong!' I shouted. 'Matron said my Mum and Dad were dead. She said an old couple found me in a park. I don't have any parents!'

'It is your Matron who is mistaken, not us,' Professor Dumbledore corrected me. 'I'm afraid your mother is dead but your father is very much alive. Tala is the name of your mother and, as my colleague said, we did know her. She was a very bright young witch and very talented. She also had a slight tendency to get into trouble with her friends at school,' he sent a pointed look at Mr Lupin, 'and this is her older brother. Your uncle.'

'No, you're wrong!' I cried. I backed away from them until I was against the door. 'I don't have an uncle!' I shouted. 'I don't have a family! They're dead!'

Mr Lupin started to approach me. I flinched. I closed my eyes, putting my hands up in front of my face. I expected to feel Mr Lupin's hand on my arm but it never came. I opened my eyes. A strange blue orb was surrounding me. It was stopping Mr Lupin from getting to me. Instantly I snatched back my hands and put them under my arms. The orb vanished. I fell to the floor. I pulled my knees up to my chest, scared at what I'd done. What was happening to me?

'Jenna,' said Mr Lupin softly. I glanced at him. 'It's all right,' he told me. He gently touched my cheek. I flinched at first but didn't pull away. 'We've come to take you away, Jenna. Take you to where you belong.'

'Where do I belong?' I asked him nervously.

'You belong with me in the wizarding world,' replied Mr Lupin. 'You're my sister's daughter and I've finally found you. I've been looking for you all your life since the day you went missing. I never gave up hope that I'd find you.'

'How can you be so sure?' I questioned him. 'How can you be so sure I'm the one you're looking for?'

'Because you have the things I sent you.' Mr Lupin held up the photograph of him and his sister. 'You have her eyes. All those strange things that have happened to you, all those things you didn't mean to do, it's because of your magic. You're a witch, Jenna. Believe me when I say it, you are a witch and you belong at home in the wizarding world with me.'

I looked away from him. I wanted so badly for what he said to be true but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't believe what he said. I didn't want to hear any more lies about my Mum and Dad. I didn't want to be hurt again. Mr Lupin could see I didn't believe him. He straightened up then took something out of his tattered pocket. I saw it was another piece of parchment. It looked like it was another letter and once again it had my name on it: _Jenna_. He held it out for me to take.

'Here,' he said, 'read this.'

I stared at the letter for a moment or two. I reached out a hand and took it from him. Unfolding it, I began to read what it had to say.

 _Dear Jenna_

 _This is a letter I've written to you for your eleventh birthday. I can't explain how, but  
_ _I won't be alive to give this to you. This is from your mother, Tala._

 _Firstly, I must tell you who you are. Your full name is Jennifer May Black, and you  
_ _are a witch, a gifted one at that. This letter will_ _be given to you on August tenth, five  
days after your eleventh birthday. On this day,_ _my old Headmaster and Housemistress  
along with my brother will come and get you __from the orphanage you are staying at.  
Trust what they say, it is the truth. You are_ _a witch._

 _I'm sure by now you would have experienced accidentally changing into an animal  
_ _without knowing how you did it. Do not worry, all that will be made clear for you in time.  
_ _As for all the other times, when you have caused something to happen without meaning  
_ _to, that is simply your magic. At your age it is uncontrolled and unpredictable but that is  
_ _completely normal. You will learn to control it when you go to Hogwarts._

 _Where your father is I cannot say. You are too young right now to know but you will in  
_ _time. When you do find out the truth, trust your instincts; people will try to make you  
_ _believe what others do, but only you can find out the truth and clear his name._

 _There is nothing else I can think to write. All I can say is that you are my daughter and I  
_ _love you. I will always love you. I have looked over you for the past years watching you  
_ _grow. You will be a strong witch and you will find someone special for you, just like I  
_ _found your father._

 _Lots of love to my daughter,  
_ _Always and forever,_

 _Tala_

I looked away from the letter. The letter had been from my Mum. I didn't need any of the adults to tell me this; I just knew by the way it was written. My Mum had written that before she died so she could still comfort me when I was scared and alone. There were things in that letter only a mother would know. There was no way it could be from anyone else. I put my head on my knees, tears falling down my cheeks. All I wanted to do was cry. I didn't know whether I was crying from joy or from grief. I just knew I wanted to let out all the sadness that had built up over the past ten years. The torment I had suffered just because I was different when in reality it was just because of who I was. A witch. I felt a hand on my hair. I looked up to see Mr Lupin stroking my head, a kind smile on his face.

'It's OK, Jenna,' he said softly. 'I've come to take you home.'

'Indeed,' said Dumbledore. 'So we must ask, do you believe us, Jenna? Will you come with us?'

I looked up at the faces of the two Professors. Both were regarding me with a concerned look, as if they wondered whether or not I did believe them. I turned to Mr Lupin. He was my family, surely if I felt something when I looked at him, I'd know for certain they were telling the truth. My blue eyes met his brown ones. There was something there in those brown orbs, a warmth and kindness I'd never seen anyone look at me with before, almost as if he was looking at me with love in his eyes. And I believed them. Slowly I got up. I wiped my eyes.

'Yes, I believe you,' I replied.

Lupin beamed. The hand that had been stroking my head suddenly pulled me into a hug. I hesitated. I'd never been hugged before. It felt strange but nice at the same time. Braving it, I put my arms round his neck and hugged him back. The sudden feeling of safety I got from being in his arms was almost overwhelming for me and I buried my face into his shoulder. After all these years, he'd found me. My family had finally found me. After a few minutes Lupin released me from the hug. I was reluctant to let go so soon but did so when he pulled back.

'Go get your stuff,' Lupin told me. 'It's time we went home.'

I nodded silently. My sadness had now been replaced by pure joy and I couldn't stop the smile that came to my face. I grabbed the door handle and left the room. Immediately I ran all the way back down the corridor and up the stairs to my dormitory. Mandy and some of the other children were inside; they appeared to be waiting for me to come back to see what the meeting had been about. I ignored them. Even their nasty taunts could not destroy my happiness at that moment. I ran over to my bed and grabbed my school bag, jacket, and my remaining things that weren't in my box.

'So, what did they want, freak?' Mandy asked. She watched as I shoved everything into my school bag. 'Are you in trouble again? Have they come to take you away to the mental house?'

'Nope,' I said happily. 'I've been adopted.'

Mandy looked shocked.

'What?' she almost shrieked. 'Someone's adopted you? Who'd want a weird little freak like you?'

'My Uncle,' I said simply. I shouldered my bag and smiled at her. 'Enjoy the rest of your time here,' I told Mandy. 'I'm sure your parents will be back next year to pick you up for another week or so.'

I heard Mandy scream indignantly at my parting shot to her. While she did indeed still have family, her parents barely looked after her for more than a month at a time before leaving her here again and again. I felt it was only fair to leave her with that as my goodbye to her when she had tormented me for years about not having any family. Pleased with her reaction, I turned on my heel and ran off back to the reception.

When I reached the reception I saw the three wizards were gathered at the front desk. Lupin was talking to Matron as he signed the forms she had handed him, finalising my adoption. With a quick flick of a pen, it was done. I was officially in his care. I beamed when he turned to me. His face seemed to light up when he saw me waiting there for him. I ran over to him and hugged him again. Lupin chuckled.

'It's OK,' he said. 'We'll be home soon enough.'

'Do you have all your things?' Matron came out from behind the reception desk. I nodded. She smiled down at me. 'I never thought I'd see this day,' she told me. 'I'm going to miss you, Jennifer. You were a handful but I always knew deep down you were a good child. You were just lost and needed someone to find you. Now someone has, I hope you get what you always wanted.'

'Thank you, Matron,' I said. 'Thank you for all you've done for me. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused.'

'Apology accepted. Now, don't keep your uncle waiting. Off you go.'

I gave Matron one last smile then turned to Lupin. I couldn't believe how happy I felt. I was going home. After ten long years of being in the orphanage, I was finally going home back to where I belonged in the wizarding world. I had finally found my family.

I was silent for the most part of the journey back to Lupin's home, although the journey itself was a very short one. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had separated from us once we'd left the orphanage and turned down a nearby empty street, disappearing in the blink of an eye with a tiny _pop_ , much to my surprise. With them gone, Lupin led me to the far end of the street where it was blocked by a wall, away from the eyes of any passers-by. On top of some cardboard boxes was what looked like an old moth-eaten jacket that had been dumped there by someone who no longer wanted it.

Taking my hand, Lupin told me to take a deep breath and to grab on to the coat and hold on as tightly as I could. I looked at him apprehensively. What was going to happen? Was this how we were going to get home? Lupin saw my concern. He smiled and nodded. With his assurance I readied myself. I reasoned that if this was the man who was going to look after me, I better start trusting him. I took a breath and, as Lupin counted down from three, I reached out and grabbed the coat.

Almost instantly I felt a jerk around my middle and I was pulled from where I was standing. I clenched my eyes shut as everything seemed to spin around me. I could feel Lupin's grip tighten on my hand as we were dragged to our destination. A few moments later, I felt my feet hit the floor; my knees gave way and I landed on the ground with a small "oomf". It took a moment for things to stop spinning when I finally opened my eyes, and I saw the alley we'd been in had vanished. In its place stood a small cottage with a brown thatched roof surrounded by trees and fields for as far as I could see.

'Welcome home, Jenna,' said Lupin.

Lupin helped me up and led me up the footpath to the front door of the cottage. A small wooden plaque hung on the doorframe I saw read "Moonlake Cottage". There were wild flowers growing beneath the front windows and around the border of the front garden. With a tap of his wand Lupin unlocked the front door and led me inside. It was a quaint little place with a living room and study at the front of the house and the kitchen and utility rooms at the back. A staircase in the hallway led up to the second floor. I followed Lupin up it. There were only four doors on the landing; the one at the far right I assumed to be Lupin's room when I saw the bed through the open door, and the two to my left appeared to be a bathroom and a spare room. The one just opposite the stairs though had another wooden plaque hanging on it: _Jenna's room_.

I stood outside the closed door. Lupin put his hand on my shoulder.

'Why don't you take a look inside?' he suggested.

Lupin pushed the door open and nudged me inside. I stared around the room in what could only be described as awe; going from a girl who had no family, nothing of her own, to having a room all to myself was almost mind-blowing for me. I walked through the door, my eyes taking in every detail. It wasn't massive, but it wasn't small either. The sun filtered in through the large window casting a warm glow over the room. Against the wall to my left was a bed so big I thought it could fit three of me across its width. I guess Lupin was being prepared for when I was older and had grown a bit. Against the other walls were bookcases, a chest of drawers, a desk and chair, even a wardrobe. The walls themselves, along with the bedding and the curtains, as well some other small details Lupin had added, were all coloured mint green and a pale lilac.

'This is all … for me?' I asked.

Lupin nodded, smiling. I went over to the desk. I ran my hand over the wood as if I was checking it was really there. There were a couple of photo frames on it: there was one of Lupin and his sister, my Mum, dressed in their Hogwarts uniform from when they must have been about fifteen or sixteen; there was another one, again from Hogwarts featuring both of them and their parents which must have been taken at a graduation ceremony judging by my Mum's robes. I saw there were a couple of empty frames. From my bag I took out the envelope with the photos I had. I placed them on my desk to put them in the frames later. I saw there was only one other photo I hadn't seen before. I picked it up.

'Re-Remus,' I said. His name stuttered from my lips, as I wasn't entirely sure what to call him. 'Who is this man?'

I showed him the photo. My Mum was in it again, but this time she wasn't with Lupin. Dressed in casual clothes like she was, a man I guessed was about a year or so older than her stood by her side with his arms wrapped round her waist. He had this roguish handsome air about him, his shoulder length black hair falling neatly either side of his young face, a pair of grey eyes grinning like his smile. He was gently nuzzling my Mum's face and kissing her cheek, before his eyes turned to me. His smile softened in a way that I hadn't seen a man do before and he pulled Mum closer to him.

Lupin took the photo from me. His cheerful mood seemed to drop all of a sudden.

'That,' he said, 'is your father.' His eyes examined the photo a few more seconds before turning to me. 'It appears you have inherited some of his qualities too,' Lupin observed. 'But you look more like your mother.'

'Did you know him?' I asked.

'I knew him once, a long time ago.'

The tone in Lupin's voice told me that this was a subject he would prefer not to talk about. As many questions as I had about my parents, I felt it best not to ask any more for now. I replaced the photo with the others on my desk. My eyes lingered on the image of my father. The way he was with my Mum, he seemed to really care about her. What had happened? Behind me Lupin announced he was going to start dinner to which I merely muttered a reply. It felt strange to me that my father was absent but without a reason to explain why. Had something happened to him? I knew he was alive, Professor Dumbledore had said so. Only question was … where was he?

The evening I arrived at Moonlake Cottage, Lupin (I didn't feel comfortable calling him "Uncle Remus" just yet) sent back my reply to my Hogwarts letter while I'd been upstairs, despite the fact Professor Dumbledore had been there when Lupin adopted me. When I came down from my room after unpacking what little things I had I saw Lupin had a large pot of something cooking on the stove. Beside him a knife was cutting some vegetables. The chopping board then lifted into the air and tipped them into the pot.

'We're having stew,' Lupin told me. He waved his wand at a spoon on the side. It began stirring the stew. It was then he noticed me staring at him in the doorway. He chuckled. 'You don't have to spell on ceremony, Jenna,' said Lupin lightly. 'You can come in.'

I walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the dining table.

'This must be quite overwhelming for you,' Lupin continued. He waved his wand again, this time to make the stew stop cooking and be served into a couple of bowls. 'Being adopted and finding out you're a witch all in one day.'

'It is a bit weird,' I admitted. The bowls had now flown by themselves over to the table. 'Do you use magic for everything?'

'Not everything,' replied Lupin, 'but there are a lot of things we do use our magic for that we don't even think about.'

I nodded. Beside me Lupin began eating his stew. I followed him and picked up my spoon. I gave my stew a quick stir then took a spoonful.

'Wow, this is really good,' I said, taking another mouthful. 'We never got anything like this at the orphanage.'

I ate the stew with gusto, enjoying its strong flavour and the combination of spices in it. Lupin merely observed me. When I noticed, I hesitated and slowed down the pace I was eating my food.

'It's OK, Jenna,' Lupin laughed. 'You're not at the orphanage anymore. This is your home.'

'I know, I just …' I sighed, 'I spent ten years at that orphanage wondering who I am, where I came from, and in the space of twenty-four hours I've been adopted, have a home, and a whole history I didn't even know I had. I know nothing about magic yet my parents were wizards. You're a wizard. I always dreamed I had a family. I just – I never expected that.'

'Jenna, I know it's hard,' said Lupin. 'You grew up in a world where magic was merely in storybooks, not knowing that it ran through your blood. But you don't have to be scared or worried. I will be with you every step of the way like I should have been years ago. I can promise you that.'

Lupin smiled at me. I smiled back. For the rest of dinner, Lupin took the opportunity to find out a little more about me and what I liked and disliked, before telling me all about the wizarding world and magic, my past and my family. My parents apparently had me shortly after they left Hogwarts and that my birthday was the fifth of August, making me officially eleven years old and, according to Lupin, most likely the youngest in my year when I join Hogwarts. I sat and listened as he told me stories about him and my Mum from when they were children and about my grandparents. I couldn't help but smile as I listened. It all sounded so wonderful. His family had lived on a farm when they were younger; my granddad had worked with magical creatures while my grandmother, who was what Remus called a Muggle, a term for non-magical people, looked after him and my Mum; my Mum was apparently the more mischievous out of the two of them, according to Lupin, and was always running around and getting into some sort of trouble, something he hoped would not be the case with me.

'She certainly had a talent for trouble,' said Lupin with a knowing smile at me. 'But then again, I didn't exactly do anything to discourage her, nor did our friends.'

At nine o'clock Lupin told me it was time for bed as we had a lot to do tomorrow to get me ready for school. I protested, wanting Lupin to tell me more about my family and about Hogwarts, but he said I'd find it all out when I started school in September. Wishing me goodnight – I'd never had anyone say that to me before – Lupin made sure I was settled in my room before turning out the light. He left my door slightly ajar in case I needed him. I lay quietly in my bed, staring at the light filtering in through the doorway. I smiled, a feeling of pure happiness sweeping over me. I fell asleep, knowing I was home at last.

I had less than a month until I started Hogwarts. Lupin woke me early the next day as we needed to go to Diagon Alley to pick up all the things I needed for school that were on the equipment list that came with my Hogwarts letter. I went to get ready. I put on some of the clothes that Lupin had filled my drawers with. It looked very different to my old clothes; not robes but what I assumed were the wizarding equivalent of Muggle daywear. It felt nice to wear clothes that were my own. I came downstairs to see Lupin standing by the fireplace. He told me we were travelling by Floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron in London. Lupin took a handful of silvery powder in one hand and took my hand in his other. Telling me to keep my mouth closed, he chucked the powder into the fireplace and pulled me into the green flames, shouting, ' _Diagon Alley_.'

Everything around me was spinning. Tens of fireplaces flew past us. I shut my eyes and gripped Lupin's hand, feeling nauseous. The spinning was making me dizzy. A few moments later I felt Lupin tug my hand and we arrived in a second fireplace. My feet hit the stone floor. I opened my eyes, glad everything had stopped spinning at last. Lupin helped me out of the fireplace. He was covered in soot, as was I. I dusted off what I could and shook out my hair. We had arrived in dingy looking pub. A long table sat in the centre of the room with a bar going along the wall opposite to the fireplace Lupin and I had arrived through. To my left was the entrance to the pub from what I assumed was the Muggle side of London, and to my right there was a handsome wooden staircase that lead upstairs. There were a couple of old women sitting quietly in the corner while another wizard was sat at the bar talking to the barman. Lupin nodded at him, walking out the back entrance of the pub into a small courtyard surrounded by a high brick wall. As we passed I managed to catch a bit of their conversation.

'He was in here the other day with Hagrid,' the barman was saying. 'Getting his things for Hogwarts, I presumed. He'd be going there in September.'

'What did he look like?' asked the other wizard.

'Scrawny, like he'd been underfed,' replied the barman. 'Couldn't mistake him though. Had the scar and everything, just like they say. Was definitely him. The Boy Who Lived.'

I narrowed my eyes, confused by their conversation. Who was "the boy who lived"? Whoever he was, he was apparently going to Hogwarts in September, so I'd probably see him around the school. I wonder what made him famous. I pushed it from my thoughts and hurried after Lupin.

'So where's Diagon Alley?' I asked.

'Right here,' replied Lupin.

He took out his wand. He pointed it just above the bin that sat against the back wall of the courtyard then went three bricks and two across. He gave the brick he came to a tap. One by one the bricks began to rotate themselves and pull back from each other until a wide archway had formed in the place where the wall had previously stood. I couldn't believe what I saw. Hidden behind the wall was a long and winding street filled with shops and people as far as I could see.

Lupin saw my expression and chuckled to himself.

'Come on,' he said. 'We need to go to Gringotts first to get some gold then we can go get your equipment and your school robes from Madam Malkin's.'

I looked in awe at all the different shops Diagon Alley had as I followed Lupin through the crowd down to where a large white building stood about halfway down the street. Large marble pillars stood at an angle at its entrance with a pair of heavy wooden doors at the top of its marble steps. Lupin explained to me that Gringotts was the wizarding bank and that it was run by goblins. I was about to tell him that goblins didn't exit but stopped myself. I was in the wizarding world now; I had seen more than enough things already to know what I knew to be imaginary could very well be real here. While Lupin went to speak to one of the goblins – I couldn't help but take a step backwards when I saw one – I began to wonder how exactly Lupin intended to pay for my school equipment. I had no money and, from what I could tell, Lupin didn't have much of his own either. Lupin gestured for me to join him. I did so and we were led by the goblin out of a door at the back of the hall.

The goblin led Lupin and me to what looked like a mine cart. It sat on a pair of tracks that disappeared off into a deep dark cave. The cart itself was a large metal vehicle, a wooden seat in the centre with a second behind what looked like a steering wheel, and a lamp at the back. Its wheels were four large metal circles that connected it to the tracks. The goblin took the seat behind the steering wheel while Lupin and I got in the back.

'Re – Lupin,' I started, 'I don't have any money. I can't pay for anything.'

'Don't worry about that,' said Lupin. 'Now, I advise you hold on tight.'

If I thought travelling by Floo powder made me sick, this was worse. The cart shot off at the goblin's instruction before I was ready and plunged into the vast caves below. My hair whipped my face as we travelled down the maze of tracks passing row upon row of what looked like large vaults; they flew by too fast for me to tell what they were. I grabbed it and tucked its length into my jacket to stop it flying about. Beside me Lupin was sitting quite cheerfully as if we weren't hurtling down a track at what had to be at least fifty miles per hour. All of a sudden the cart jerked to a stop. Judging by the darkness we had to be miles underground.

'Vault seven hundred and nine,' said the goblin.

The goblin stepped off the cart, then Lupin, then me. I felt my legs give way slightly as I struggled to regain my balance. I was not looking forward to the trip back. Lupin handed the goblin a small key. He walked over to the door of the vault and put the key inside the lock, giving it a turn. A series of loud mechanical sounds came from behind the door as the locks opened themselves. Slowly the door opened. My mouth fell open when I saw what was inside. Piles of coins of all kinds, gold, silver and bronze, were stacked in small heaps inside the vault. Lupin took a small pouch from inside his robes and began filling it with the coins. Once he had enough the goblin closed the vault and we returned to the main hall of the bank.

'That should have been enough to cover your school equipment and your first year at Hogwarts,' Lupin told me. 'You can always send me an Owl if you need anymore.'

I nodded silently. I don't think I could have spent that much gold in my entire lifetime.

After the shock of my newfound wealth, Lupin and I ventured back into the crowds of wizards and witches shopping in Diagon Alley. There was so much going on here. Piles of cauldrons stacked precariously outside a shop called Potage's; broomsticks mounted on stands in the window with posters of what looked like a team as a backdrop in Quality Quidditch Supplies, whatever Quidditch was; an ice cream shop with many brightly coloured ice creams at Fortescue's; the latest book by a renown wizarding author on display in the window of Flourish and Blotts; and fancy looking robes on manikins at Twilifitt and Tattlings. The thing that caught my eye, however, were the series of cages and stands gathered outside a shop next to one selling various magical instruments as we walked back towards the top of the street.

'Eeylops Owl Emporium,' I read aloud, looking at the sign.

A sudden squawking came from just inside the shop. Without thinking I ran inside to see what was going on. Owls of all kinds sat inside cages and on stands in the darkened shop. Near a back corner I saw the source of the commotion. A snowy owl was flapping its wings angrily at a larger screech owl, snapping its beak as the other squawked back at it.

'Hey, ssh.'

I ran over to the agitated creature. Holding out my arm I stroked the snowy owl's chest as I coaxed him on to it and away from the other bird. At first he was reluctant to move, hitting my cheek as he flapped his wings, but my gentle strokes eventually calmed him and he allowed me to lift him off his perch. He still clicked his beak at the other owl though. I turned around so he couldn't see the other bird. I continued to stroke his chest.

'Hey, it's all right,' I said softly to him. He responded, looking at me with his amber eyes. They were a gorgeous colour. He let out a hoot, a much calmer one than before. 'You're lovely, aren't you?'

'Jenna.' I heard Lupin call my name and saw him enter the store. 'I was wondering where you'd got to.'

'I heard the owl squawking and came to see what was going on,' I said. 'I didn't mean to run off.'

'That's all right,' said Lupin, 'but you need to put him down. We've got to go get your school things and be out of Diagon Alley by five. I've got an appointment this afternoon which I can't miss.'

I nodded. I went to put the owl back on his perch when the shopkeeper came bustling over to me. His overalls were covered in what I assumed were owl droppings and there was a bag of Owl Treats sticking out his pocket. His hair was standing on end having been knocked several times by the owls' wings as they flew around the shop.

'Did you just calm him down?' he asked me, out of breath. 'He's been aggravated for the last few days now. I thought nothing would calm him.'

'Um, yeah,' I said. I held out my arm, allowing the shopkeeper to take the owl from me. 'Why was he acting like that?'

'His mate was bought a few days ago by a large man,' explained the shopkeeper. 'He misses her. Didn't like it when the man tried to take her away. He was nice enough though, looks after animals as part of his job. Was getting it for someone for their birthday, he said.'

The owl hooted dolefully as the shopkeeper went to put him on his perch. With a flap of his wings the owl cuffed the shopkeeper round the head and flew back over to me, landing on my shoulder. He gently nibbled my ear in affection.

'He seems to like you though,' said the shopkeeper. He brushed back his hair. 'You look about eleven years old. I guess you'll be starting Hogwarts soon, right?' I nodded. 'You can buy him if you want. He's only fifteen Galleons along with some food and his cage, but I can let you have him for ten seeing as you calmed him down.'

'Can I?' I asked Lupin. 'The letter said we're allowed an owl, a cat or a toad.'

Lupin looked at me, then smiled and nodded. He took out the money pouch and handed the ten gold coins to the shopkeeper. Taking the owl from me again, the shopkeeper placed him in his cage then handed that and some Owl Treats to me. I put my finger through the cage and allowed him to affectionately nip it.

'You have the same talent with animals your mother had,' observed Lupin.

I blushed.

It took almost the entire day to get all my things for school. Diagon Alley was a busy place. I had brought my old school bag with me to carry my new equipment but soon found the books alone wouldn't even fit in it. Lupin had the answer to this. Taking my old brown satchel, Lupin tapped his wand on it and muttered something under his breath. The bag slowly began to change; the strap began to lengthen while the shape became rounder and larger; the material changed from its horrible leather to a nicer woven cloth; its dirty brown was replaced by a brighter multicoloured pattern. Lupin handed it back to me, saying the bag was now enchanted to be able to hold all the stuff I needed for school. I nodded and placed the Owl Treats inside it as well as the bag of basic potion ingredients we had bought from Apothecary. It still felt like there was a lot of room left in the bag even with those things inside it and it didn't feel any heavier. Whatever Lupin did was certainly a helpful little charm.

After the Apothecary we went to Flourish and Blotts and picked up all the books that I needed for my first year. I couldn't wait to have a look at them when I got home, especially the one called _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. We then got my cauldron from Potage's; some quills, inks and general supplies for my schoolwork from Scribbulus Writing Instruments; the telescope, phials and scales from Wiseacre's; and a small supply of sweets for me while I was at Hogwarts from Sugarplum's. Madam Malkin's was one of our last stops. Lupin gathered together the uniform I would need while Madam Malkin busied herself measuring me for my robes. I stood on the footstool as a tape measure flew around me measuring me from head to toe. A pair of robes was pulled over my head and she adjusted the length of them according to what the tape measure had recorded before pulling them back off me and wrapping them and the other bits of uniform in some brown paper. I put them inside my bag and we left the store.

'All that's left is my wand,' I said, looking at my list.

'So we need to go to Ollivanders,' said Lupin. 'There's no better place to get your wand. It's where your mum and I got our wands when we started Hogwarts.'

Ollivanders was down the south side of Diagon Alley. It was an old looking shop, the sign saying it had been in business for hundreds of years. Lupin pushed open the door and we went inside. A small bell chimed as we entered. It was quite dark inside the shop. A small desk sat at the far end of the shop. The walls were lined with shelves each filled with boxes and boxes of wands. The only light was the small lap sitting on the desk. From the back of the shop a wizened man with a shock of white hair approached to see who had entered. His pale silver eyes fell on me, and his mouth lifted into a smile. His clothes were covered in dust like the boxes of wands he sold.

'Ah, I thought I still had one more student to serve,' said Mr Ollivander. 'I never forget a student and so never forget when their children are due to start Hogwarts as well.'

I wondered what he meant by that. I looked at Lupin questioningly but he merely shrugged. I turned back to Ollivander. He was already searching through the stacks of boxes, running his long finger over them one by one while he picked one out for me to try.

'I remember the day your parents got their wands,' Mr Ollivander was saying. 'Your father's wand chose him almost instantly. Made of Cedar, dragon heartstring core and fourteen inches long. A loyal wand for a loyal young man as I recall.' Behind me I heard Lupin snort. 'You mother, however, hers was a very different wand indeed. Ebony, twelve and a half inches, phoenix feather core. It was an excellent match for a person as true to herself as her.'

'Do you remember every wand you sell?' I asked. Mr Ollivander nodded.

'Your uncle there, his wand is made of Cypress with a unicorn hair core, ten and a quarter inches. A wand worthy of heroes and those always putting others ahead of themselves.'

I looked at Lupin. He nodded in confirmation.

'Now, as for you,' continued Mr Ollivander. He pulled a box from the middle of the shelf. From it he took out a long brown wand. 'Here, try this.' He handed me the wand. 'Maple, eleven inches, dragon heartstring.'

I took the wand. Nothing happened.

'Just like the last boy I served,' sighed Mr Ollivander. 'You need to wave it.'

Feeling the heat rise in my cheeks at my mistake, I waved the wand. A burst of magic shot from it. Several boxes of wands came shooting out from their shelves. I winched. I didn't mean to do that. Mr Ollivander snatched the wand back from me.

'Maybe not,' said Mr Ollivander. He flicked his own and put the wands back on the shelf. He continued his search a little longer then pulled out another wand for me to try. This one was greyer in colour. 'Try this one. Larch with a unicorn hair core. It helps bring out a wizard or witch's inner talents.'

I waved the wand. Mr Ollivander snatched it back again this time before anything even happened.

'Definitely not the wand for you.'

Mr Ollivander started looking through his wands again, then paused. He turned to look at me, his pale eyes examining me. He seemed to be thinking about something. Next moment he walked past me to the front of the shop. He bent down to a low shelf and pulled a dark blue box out from the bottom of a stack. From inside he pulled out another light brown wand. It didn't have a handle like the Maple one I tried, instead having a long winding pattern of leaves carved into the wood.

'Hazel,' said Mr Ollivander. 'A temperamental wand wood, especially when paired with an owner who has strong emotions but a brilliant partner to those who can control them. Thirteen inches in length, but not as unlucky as some may think. It has a phoenix feather for its core. A powerful combination that will be a devoted wand towards its owner.'

He handed me the wand. A surge seemed to go from the wand through my fingers and into my body, as if it was going through my veins, the moment I touched the wand. A series of sparks shot from the tip in a small shower of colour. Mr Ollivander smiled.

'It appears that you have been chosen,' he said. He took the wand and placed it back in its box. He wrapped it up and handed it back to me. 'I believe it will be a good match for you in whatever you do.'

We left Diagon Alley at quarter to five. We returned to Moonlake Cottage by Floo powder and left all my stuff in the living room for me to sort out later. We didn't have much time as Lupin had his appointment to get to. I thought I was going to be left at the cottage while he was gone but Lupin was reluctant to leave me on my own while I was only eleven years old. I went to wait for him by the fireplace while he grabbed something from the kitchen only for him to tell me we were Apparating to the appointment as there were no fireplaces where we were going. Taking my hand, Lupin twisted on the spot and we vanished with a sharp _crack_. I tensed as I felt my body twist and stretch before we reappeared in a dark courtyard.

I shivered when I felt the cold air on my face. In the distance I could hear the sound of waves crashing against stone. I looked around. We were stood in the courtyard of a large black-stone tower. The sky above was darkened with thunderclouds and I could see there was something floating around the top of the tower. They looked like large pieces of ripped material. It felt like all the warmth had suddenly been drained from my body.

'Where are we, Lupin?' I asked. I felt my teeth chatter. 'It's freezing here.'

'We're in Azkaban,' Lupin replied. His voice was different this time. It was more serious and not as light as it normally was. What had brought this on? 'This is the wizard prison.'

'What are we doing here?' I persisted.

'I have to visit one of the prisoners here,' he said darkly. Lupin looked round before turning to me. He bent down so we were eye to eye, his hands gripping my shoulders. 'Now listen carefully, Jenna. I need you to stay here in the courtyard. Terrible creatures inside the tower protect the prison and it could be dangerous if they get too close to you. You'll be safer out here where they won't be able to sense your presence.'

I nodded though I was slightly unnerved by the idea of being separated from Lupin. Giving my shoulders a squeeze, Lupin got up and walked inside the tower through its only door.

I don't know how long Lupin was gone. I waited outside in the courtyard, standing by the outer wall, my arms wrapped around me to try and keep warm. I kept looking around, worried that whatever creature Lupin said lurked here would suddenly appear and attack me. I shifted uneasily on my feet. The air around me was getting colder. I notice my breath start to mist in front of me. Nervously I looked upwards. That's when I saw it. Floating above me was a large, hooded figure, its whole body just made up of this black ripped material. It was reaching out its hand to me, rotten and scabbed. I backed away until I was up against the wall. The creature got closer and closer. I felt the air in my lungs slowly turn to ice as I struggled to breathe. It felt like I was drowning. Voices started ringing through my head. I could hear every word. Blurry figures swam in and out of my vision. A long rattling breath echoed in the distance and I felt my body being torn in two. I felt the ground connect with my back as I fainted, unknown words ringing through my head.

-o-

Lupin walked through the dark corridors, his wand clutched ready in his hand. The only light source were the torches burning along the walls. There were no wizards inside the prison apart from those incarcerated; the only creature here were the Dementors. They floated at the door of every cell. Their faceless heads watched as he passed, sensing his presence. Lupin was careful to keep his thoughts clear, to not think of anything cheerful or happy for them to pick up on. The walls were damp with mould growing in the cracks between the stones. The chill from outside was even more pronounce inside the castle. His footsteps echoed hauntingly around him.

Lupin came to a stop outside the cell of the prisoner he was visiting. Inside, hidden by the darkness, sat a man. Someone Lupin had known long ago. His black hair was long and unkempt while his grey eyes had sunken into his once handsome face, his skin pale and waxy. He turned his head enough when he heard someone outside his cell. He recognised the visitor. A long time ago his heart would have been lifted by this, despite the mistrust he had felt previously for his old friend. But after ten years behind bars with Dementors at your door, he was somewhat not heartened by the visit.

'Remus …' said Sirius Black, his voice strained from lack of use. 'I thought you ended these visits years ago.'

'I'm not here for a social call, Black,' said Lupin. He kept his tone formal. 'I'm here for one reason and one reason only. Give me Tala's necklace.'

Black frowned. Why would Remus want Tala's necklace?

'Why would I still have that?' he asked. 'Tala died years ago. Why would you want it back?'

'Because it rightfully belongs to Jenna.'

Black felt a stab at his heart. He knew that name. That had been what he and Tala had named their daughter. But why would Remus bring up his daughter? Like Tala, he had lost her years ago, the same night that his best friends, James and Lily Potter, had been murdered. He'd lost everything he'd ever held dear all in that one night, all the people he considered his family. Unless –

Black stood up so quickly his head span. He was weak and tired but the mention of his daughter had stirred something deep inside him. It wasn't a happy feeling. He hadn't had one of those in years. It was more a thought, a possibility that not all had been lost.

'You've found her, haven't you?' he asked. 'You've found Jenna.'

'Why would I tell you?' countered Lupin. He glared at Black. 'You abandoned her ten years ago, leaving me to pick up the pieces and search for her, to try to work out her past so she'd have a future to come to. Even if I'd found her, I'd never let you near her, not after what you did. Betraying Tala, pretending you were upset when she was killed by the Death Eaters, your friends.'

'Remus, I swear to you, I was not a Death Eater,' said Black earnestly. 'I never passed information to Voldemort, nor did I betray Tala or James and Lily. And I can assure you, Tala meant everything to me from the moment I met her to the moment she died. You have to believe me, Remus, old friend.'

'You lost the right to call me your friend,' spat Lupin. 'You lost that right the day you abandoned my niece.' Lupin turned his back on Black and started to walk away, feeling the same anger he always felt whenever he thought about their past. However, he stopped briefly just to add, 'Enjoy the rest of your days here.'

'Remus!' Black shouted, making him stop again. Lupin glanced over his shoulder at him. 'I know you're angry with me but please, if you have found Jenna, I beg you, don't keep her from me. Do as you choose in raising her, I know she'll turn into a fine witch under your guidance. Just please don't keep her from me. I need my daughter. She's all I have left of Tala.'

'I'm afraid you have no say in the matter.' and with that, Lupin walked away.

Lupin strode quickly back out the castle, fighting to keep control of his temper. How dare Black have the nerve to ask to see Jenna, especially after what he did to her when she was only a baby. He could never forgive his former friend for what he did to Tala. Lupin walked out into the courtyard. Instantly he felt his heart stop. In front of him Jenna was lying on the ground unconscious. A Dementor floated over her, drawing in a raspy breath as it tried to pull her soul from her body. Jenna had many horrors she did not know about in her past due to being so young, but the Dementors had the power to find them and draw them to her conscious. She was very susceptible to their powers, even more so being only eleven years old and unable to protect her emotions from them.

Lupin drew his wand from his pocket without a second thought.

' _Expecto Patronum!_ '

A loud howl echoed as the large silver wolf burst from Lupin's wand. It leapt from his wand and charged at the Dementor attacking Jenna. The Dementor was thrown back from her. It tried to attack a second time but the wolf stood protectively over Jenna, growling and snarling at the Dementor. It lunged at the Dementor a second time, this time chasing it away. Lupin ran over to Jenna and picked her up in his arms. He turned on the spot and Disapparated, his Patronus vanishing shortly afterwards.

-o-

I turned my head to the side, expecting to feel the cold stone of the courtyard on my skin. Instead I felt the softness of my pillow. Confused, I forced open my eyes. My vision was blurry initially but soon focused enough to see I was lying in my bed. I tried to sit up but I felt weak, like all my strength and energy had been drained from me. After a moment or two I managed to push myself up enough so I was leant against the headboard. A knock came from my door and Lupin entered my bedroom. He had a large block of what looked like chocolate in his hand. He unwrapped it as he took a seat beside me on my bed, breaking off a chunk.

'Here, eat this,' he told me. 'It'll make you feel better.'

'Matron said I wasn't allowed chocolate before dinner,' I said, struggling to get the words out from being so drained of energy.

'Your Matron isn't in charge of you anymore,' Lupin reminded me, 'so if I say you can have chocolate, you can have chocolate. Now eat. I promise you'll feel better when you do.'

I nodded, ignoring the slight feeling of wanting to vomit as I did so. I took the chunk he handed me and took a bite. A feeling of warmth spread throughout my body and I felt my energy start to return. Lupin watched to make sure I ate all of what he handed me until he was satisfied I'd recovered. With my strength returned, I turned to Lupin.

'What happened?' I asked him. 'What was that thing?'

'It was a Dementor,' Lupin replied. 'They are the creatures that guard Azkaban. It seems I underestimated just how attracted to you they'd be.' I gave Lupin a strange look. 'Dementors are some of the foulest creatures that exist in the wizarding world. They feed upon darkness and despair, draining all the happiness until you are left with nothing but your worst nightmares. It's why they guard the prison; they don't need walls or water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own minds, imprisoned within their darkest thoughts.'

I shivered.

'So why did they go after me?' I asked.

'You have a past, Jenna,' Lupin continued, 'a past that most children your age wouldn't be able to comprehend. Although you don't remember it, you were there when your mother died, and that memory is still imprinted in the depths of your mind. The Dementors must have been able to sense the horror of that memory in you and so were drawn to it, making you relive it until you collapsed.'

I thought about what Lupin said.

'I heard a voice,' I said quietly, looking away from Lupin. 'I – I think it was Mum's voice. She never screamed before she died.' I glanced up to see Lupin was watching me closely. 'She seemed ready to die, like she knew it was going to happen.'

'That sounds like Tala,' sighed Lupin. 'She wasn't afraid of anything, even the things she was _meant_ to be afraid of.'

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

'There were other people there. Three men dressed in black robes. One of them had long white hair. He laughed at Mum when she tried to reason with them. I didn't see the other two though.' I blinked; a tear fell from my eyes. 'Who were they, Lupin? Why did I see them?'

'Your mother was killed by Death Eaters,' replied Lupin heavily. 'They were followers of a Dark wizard called Voldemort. Before you were born the wizarding world was deep in the middle of a war. Lord Voldemort and his followers were trying to purify the wizarding world, killing half-bloods and Muggles alike so only pure-blood wizards remained.'

'Did they stop him?' I asked.

'Voldemort was stopped eventually,' said Lupin, 'but not by any wizard. He went after some friends of mine, James and Lily Potter. It was their son, Harry, who stopped him. Voldemort murdered James and Lily before turning his wand on Harry. Somehow, no one knows how, when Voldemort used the Killing Curse on Harry, instead of killing the baby it killed him instead. Voldemort vanished after that and the boy became legend. The Boy Who Lived.'

I nodded despite the fact that, like Lupin and the rest of the wizarding world, I couldn't understand how some baby managed to defeat and destroy a Dark wizard. This Harry Potter must be some wizard if he could do that when he was only a baby. I recalled the conversation from the Leaky Cauldron and remembered that he was due to start Hogwarts this year with me. A part of me felt a wave of pity for him. Imagine all the stares he was going to get, being this famous wizard before he could even perform any magic. No matter. It was unlikely I'd have anything to do with this Boy Who Lived. The only Harry I knew was long gone from my life in a world I no longer lived in.

The rest of the holidays passed by. I decided to spend my time trying to learn as much as I could about the wizarding world in preparation for starting Hogwarts. I looked through each of my schoolbooks to see what kind of things we'd be learning, only glancing through my copy of _A History of Magic_. I could tell after the first page that if we had any history classes at Hogwarts I wasn't going to enjoy them. My favourite book was my copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. It was a book detailing the various creatures that existed in the wizarding world, many of which I originally only knew to exist in stories. Mermaids and phoenixes, even werewolves, were all real according to the book. I found it hard to believe that Muggles were none the wiser that all these creatures truly existed.

Over the weeks my bond with Lupin grew, despite the fact I still felt uncomfortable calling him by his first name no matter how many times he reminded me that it was all right to do so. It was a habit that I'd gotten into very quickly and found hard to stop. I found Lupin to be a very caring guardian, always making sure I had everything I needed at mealtimes, had slept well during the night, and was happy in whatever I was doing around Moonlake Cottage. Something that puzzled me though was why he was always at home. Not that I minded, but surely even wizards had jobs. When I asked him what he did for a living, his answer was very hesitant.

'Not all wizards work for a living,' he replied. 'Some inherit enough gold from their parents to not have to work at all.'

That didn't actually answer my question but that was all Lupin said on the matter. I accepted it, choosing not to pursue the subject in case it was none of my business.

The reason why Lupin didn't work, however, soon became very clear.

Late one night at the end of August I lay in bed wide awake. I was having trouble sleeping from being nervous about starting Hogwarts in a few days time. I got up out of my bed and looked out my window to see the fields around our home bathed in a silvery glow. I could see the full moon in the sky just hidden from complete exposure by a cloud passing over it. Something moved from below my window. It was Lupin. He was standing in the garden. It looked like he was waiting for something. Curious, I put my slippers on and went downstairs. I walked through the kitchen and pulled open the back door to the garden. Lupin hadn't noticed me. I walked over to him.

'Lupin?' I said, getting his attention.

Lupin turned round, a look of horror crossing his face when he saw me standing behind him. All of a sudden the garden was bright with light from the moon as it came out from behind the cloud. Lupin froze.

'Get back inside,' Lupin breathed. His body had tensed and was starting to shake. 'Jenna, get inside now!'

A part of me told me to do as he said, to go back inside the cottage. Another part couldn't move as I watched Lupin standing there in what looked like a great deal of pain. I watched in horror as Lupin transformed before me, his body changing into that of an oversized wolf. It was bigger than any wolf I'd seen in nature documentaries I'd watched at the orphanage. Its fur was much more ragged, a large tail swaying behind it, and its snout was much shorter than a normal wolf's. What scared me the most though were its eyes; they seemed almost human, the same brown colour as Lupin's own, but there was no love in them. Instead it was replaced by what could only be described as pure bloodlust.

The werewolf growled at me, its eyes fixed on where I stood by the back door, and began to come towards me. I didn't know what to do. I recalled reading the bit about werewolves in _Fantastic Beasts_. They only harmed humans, not other animals. There was no way I was going to survive this. I'd only just found my family and because of my own stupidity I was now going to be killed by them. If only I was a dog or a wolf or something I'd be safe!

Suddenly I felt my own body start to ache. I felt my bones start to grind and twist against each other and fur start to grow over my face. I fell forwards on to my hands and knees, landing on a set of paws instead. I let out a yell of surprise, hearing a howl come from me. I'd changed into an animal, just like I had done before in my dreams. I looked up to see the werewolf had stopped. It was watching me with suspicion, wondering where the human had gone. Braving it, I let growl. The werewolf growled back then let out a long howl. It turned on its heel and ran off, leaping over the hedge and disappearing into the surrounding fields. It was gone and so was Lupin.

Whatever I'd done saved me that night. Once the werewolf was out of sight I felt my body transform back. I remained in the garden for a few minutes afterwards. I was worried about Lupin, wondering where he'd gone and if he could get hurt. I listened out for any more of the werewolf's howls but none came. It was long gone by now. I returned inside and shut the back door. I took refuge on the sofa in the living room to wait for Lupin to come back, pulling a blanket over me and curling up to go to sleep while I waited for him to return.

The next morning I found Lupin had indeed come back. I looked out the kitchen window to see him lying outside in the grass. His clothes were all torn, explaining why they were already so frayed and patched, and through the rips I could just see the smallest hint of blood. Lupin was injured. I went to the cupboard and grabbed the medical kit Lupin kept there. I went outside to the garden and cautiously approached him. Lupin looked extremely pale, his skin marked with scars I guessed were years old, his hair that little bit greyer than before. I sighed. I knelt down beside him and pulled out a small bottle labelled Dittany. Lupin had used this on me before when I scraped my knee. I got some cotton wool from the box and pour a bit of the liquid on to it. Carefully I touched it to the scar on Lupin's back. It must have stung because Lupin's body suddenly tensed and he let out a gasp of pain. I backed away as he sat up, rubbing his hand over his tired face. At that moment I was scared of what he would do now that I knew he was a werewolf. He looked up, seeing me kneeling beside him.

'Jenna,' he said slowly. His voice was tired and his eyes didn't have the same shine they had normally. He watched me in silence for a moment or two then sighed. 'You saw me last night, didn't you?' he asked. I nodded. There was no point in lying to him. It was strange though. The way he spoke to me, it wasn't how he usually did; in fact it didn't seem like he was even talking to me, not treating me like the child I was. 'I guess there's no point in hiding it from you.'

'That you're a werewolf?' I said quietly. Lupin seemed to shiver at the word like he was repulsed by it. Slowly he got to his feet and headed towards the house. 'Lupin, where are you going? You need to clean those scratches or they'll get infected.'

Lupin stopped. He didn't look at me though.

'I'm going to get your adoption forms,' he said quietly. 'I was a fool to think you'd be safe in my care. I could have killed you last night. I would never forgive myself if anything had happened to you. You need to leave.'

'What?' I got up and ran over to him, stopping him from going inside the house. 'No, you're the only family I've got!' I protested. I couldn't believe he was going to send me back to The Refuge just because I'd found out he was a werewolf. I didn't mean to follow him last night. I didn't know I shouldn't have done that. 'Please don't send me back to the orphanage. I'll be good, I promise.'

Lupin stared at me, bemused by my reaction.

'I haven't been naughty, honest,' I pleaded. 'You can't send me back. I've been on my best behaviour. I've been really good, I promise.'

Still Lupin stared at me. His cuts were bleeding but he didn't seem to care about that at that moment. Nor did he seem to change his mind.

'You think I'm sending you back because you haven't behaved?' Lupin asked me curiously.

'Why else would you?' I replied. I bowed my head. 'You must have seen my file. I was nothing but a troublemaker at that orphanage. I don't want to go back there. I don't care that you're a werewolf. Just please, don't send me back.' When Lupin didn't respond, I sighed. 'I'll go get my stuff.'

'Jenna, wait,' said Lupin. I did. I braved looking at him, expecting him to not have changed his mind. That's when I saw the familiar smile on his face. He knelt down in front of me, taking my face in his hands. They were rough from his transformation. He smiled even more if that was possible. 'You are so my sister's daughter,' he breathed. 'Only you would be brave enough to face a werewolf and not care about what I am. And don't you think for one minute I would ever send you back because of your behaviour. Whatever your Matron had written in your file, I know from having you with me this past month that not one word of it is true. You were just scared, that's all. We'll just have to work something out whenever the full moon is due.'

'You mean I can stay?' I asked hopefully.

'I couldn't let you go even if I tried. Besides,' Lupin raised his eyebrow at me, 'we can't have you missing out on Hogwarts, can we?'

I smiled and threw my arms around Lupin, hugging him. He did wince a bit but kept hold of me, hugging me tightly to him. He was my family and nothing was going to separate us again.

Lupin recovered the following day from the full moon. Once he was feeling better he pulled a trunk out from the attic of the cottage that used to belong to my Mum and charmed the initials on it to read J. M. Black. I still found it weird that I had a surname. Even having a middle name felt odd though I quite liked it: May. We spent the last few days of the summer packing up all my things into my trunk which appeared to have the same enchantment on it that my school bag had as all my stuff including my books, clothes and equipment fit into it with space to spare, and when I carried it downstairs it felt no heavier than if it was only full off clothes. I couldn't wait to start Hogwarts now. I had what I hoped was enough knowledge of the wizarding world to help get me through the first year and looked forward to all the different things I was going to learn there. Little did I know what was waiting for me at Hogwarts and more importantly who.

* * *

AN: This is as far as I have got for now. I'll be working on the next chapter presently. I hope you have liked the changes so far.


	5. First Impressions

Chapter 4

First Impressions

I woke up early on the first of September. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to finally see what Hogwarts was like and try doing my first bit of magic. Lupin used it so casually around the cottage that it made me feel almost silly doing all the same things I did when I was at the orphanage. When I would normally press the button on the kettle, Lupin would merely give it a tap with his wand and it would start boiling; I would go to fold my clothes but with a quick flick from Lupin's wand, they folded themselves neatly into my draws; even just getting the post was redundant as an owl would bring it in through the kitchen window. You could do so much with magic that I looked forward to being able to make a teacup dance or something like that, not explode a light bulb or set a pair of curtains on fire.

I was dressed and down in the kitchen before even Lupin was up. I helped myself to breakfast the Muggle way while I waited for him. My trunk was all ready and sitting in the hallway with my pet owl sitting in his cage beside it. I'd decided to name him Gizmo, a nod to my Muggle origins as I had always enjoyed looking at what wizards would consider strange gadgets they had in the Muggle world. Lying beside me on the table was my Hogwarts letter and checklist, and my ticket for the Hogwarts Express. I read it as I ate my cereal.

'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters,' I read aloud. 'London to Hogwarts.'

'You're up early,' said Lupin. He entered the kitchen, starting the kettle to make himself some coffee.

'I couldn't sleep,' I said. 'I'm too excited. And nervous.'

'That's quite normal,' said Lupin. 'I remember my first day. I was so nervous your grandfather had to practically drag me to the station.'

I chuckled, taking another mouthful of cereal.

'So do you have everything ready?'

'Gizmo's in his cage and I've given him some Owl Treats for the journey.' I listed the things off on my fingers. 'I've packed the last of my clothes and my wash stuff. I'm pretty sure I've got everything.'

'Got your wand?' asked Lupin.

I grinned and nodded. From my pocket I drew out my wand, holding it up for Lupin to see. Brand new and polished, I once again admired the carved hazel leaves in its length before putting it safely back in my pocket.

'Good, the last thing you want to do is arrive at Hogwarts without it.'

Lupin and I finished breakfast. An owl arrived with a letter for Lupin, which he read in silence as he drank his coffee. When I was done with my bowl Lupin flicked his wand so it and his own flew over to the sink and started being cleaned by the scrubbing brush. I went and fetched my jacket while Lupin got his travelling cloak from the cupboard. He was waiting for me in the living room when I returned. He had my trunk in his hand and Gizmo's cage beside him. We were going to be Apparating to the station in London and so Lupin wanted to make sure we got there in plenty of time. The train he told me left at eleven o'clock sharp and he didn't want me to be late.

Taking Gizmo's cage in one hand, I took Lupin's in my other and we Disapparated with a _crack_.

Seconds later we reappeared in an alleyway between a couple of shops. It took me a moment to regain my composure; I still wasn't used to Apparating and I hated the strange sensation of feeling like I was being squeezed through a pipe that I always got from it. Lupin stuck his head out of the opening of the alleyway to check no one had seen us before signalling me to follow. We had appeared just across the road from King's Cross Station where I was to get the train to Hogwarts from. With the all clear, Lupin took the handle of my trunk again and we crossed the road and walked into the station.

The station was packed with Muggles rushing around to get their trains to work. The clock read half past ten. Despite being up early, we still had only made it to the station with half an hour to spare. Lupin grabbed a trolley and placed my trunk on it, putting Gizmo's cage on top. I followed as he pushed my trolley through the crowds and towards Platforms Nine and Ten. I looked around nervously. Surely someone would notice us carrying an owl through the station. I soon found, however, that the Muggles took absolutely no notice of us. The only people who did must have been fellow wizards and witches; people dressed in robes with children and trunks were all heading in the same direction as we were, occasionally nodding at us as we passed each other. I looked ahead to see where they were going.

One by one the families were disappearing into a wall about halfway up the platform. I looked round again. None of the Muggles saw this. They just continued on with their day completely oblivious to the fact this was happening right under their noses. Even the Muggle conductor who was stood right next to where the wizards were disappearing into the wall took no notice.

'How can none of the Muggles see all this?' I asked.

'Because Muggles don't see anything,' said Lupin. 'They don't believe in magic so whenever they see something that isn't normal they automatically choose to ignore it.'

Lupin stopped at the end of Platform Nine and Ten.

'Right, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you here, Jenna,' Lupin told me. 'The letter I got this morning was asking me to come and meet with someone I've been writing to about my condition. He says he might have an answer for us so I need to go meet him and see what he has to say.'

'OK,' I said, nodding.

'The barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is just up ahead.' Lupin pointed to where I'd seen the people vanish into the wall. 'You've got your ticket so all you need to do is walk through the wall and you'll be on the Platform. Someone should be there to check your ticket and load your trunk and Gizmo on to the train.'

I nodded again.

'I'll write home with Gizmo when I know what House I'm put in,' I said. I'd read that Hogwarts students got put into Houses and I'd promised Lupin I'd let him know where I was placed.

'All right, just don't be too disappointed if you don't get the House you want.'

Lupin bent down and gave me a hug.

'You have fun, Jenna,' he said, holding me tightly. I hugged him back. I was going to miss him. 'Make sure you do your homework and try not to get into trouble with the teachers. And try to make some friends. The friends you make at Hogwarts could possibly be the best people you'll ever know.'

'OK, Lupin.'

'Remember I'll miss you and I love you.'

'I love you too.'

With one last hug, Lupin let me go. He waved goodbye then headed back the way we came to leave the station. I waved back, an odd feeling in my chest. It had felt strange to have someone tell me they love me and to say it back. Nonetheless, it was still a nice feeling to have.

I pushed my trolley up the platform towards the barrier. It was then I began to feel nervous. The barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters looked pretty solid. What if my trolley didn't go through it and merely hit against the stone? Ahead of me I caught a glimpse of a plump red-haired woman and her equally flame-haired daughter as they disappeared through the barrier. Quickly I followed, not wanting to miss the train or mess up getting on to the platform. I pushed my trolley as fast as I could, taking a deep breath as I approached the wall. I ran straight at it without stopping. I expected to feel my trolley connect with the stone but nothing happened. When I looked around I saw I was no longer standing on a platform filled with Muggles. Instead I found myself staring at a large scarlet steam engine, the words _Hogwarts Express_ emblazoned on its side. Behind me I saw the brick wall was no longer there and had been replaced by a pair of wrought iron gates that already wizards were exiting through having dropped off their children.

I started up the platform. There were several carriages already full of students ready for their journey to school. The platform itself had families gathered all the way down it. Mothers were hugging their children while fathers were laughing at their wives teary displays. I saw the red-haired woman and her daughter again. They were saying goodbye to three boys who all had red hair as well. I guess they were her sons, judging by how she seemed to be telling them off for something already. I continued down the platform until I saw one of the guards. He took my trunk from me and loaded it on to the train, telling me I needed to get on board soon as it was due to leave. I nodded and did so. I headed back down the train to a somewhat emptier carriage. In the distance I heard a whistle blow, signalling the train was about to leave.

I made my way down the corridor with my trunk, sliding past the students filling them to say goodbye to their parents as the train pulled out of the station. Through the window the platform began to slip by as the train started to move. Two of the red-haired boys, twins I guessed by the looks of them, walked past me in the opposite direction. They glanced at me as I walked by and I heard them mutter "First-year". I felt my cheeks grow warm and I hurried on. I looked in the compartments one by one to find an empty one to sit in or some other students my age that I could join but all seemed to be full.

'Are you really Harry Potter?' I heard a voice say. It came from a compartment just ahead of me whose door was still open. 'Oh – well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes.'

Harry Potter. That was the name of this famous Boy Who Lived. Curious, I approached the compartment and peered in through its window. Inside I saw the youngest of the red-haired boys I'd seen earlier. He was dressed in clothes similar to mine with a hand-knitted jumper and he had a black smudge of dirt on his nose beneath his red fringe. He was staring at his companion whom I assumed was going to be this celebrity the wizarding world appeared to be obsessed with. I looked over at the other seat. A sudden wave of excitement went through me. There, sat in his cousin's old clothes and his hair as messy as always, was Harry!

'Of all the people I thought I'd meet at Hogwarts,' I said, entering the compartment, 'you were the last person I thought I'd see.'

'Jenna!' gasped Harry. 'What are you doing here?'

'Same thing as you I guess,' I said, grinning.

Beside us, the redhead was staring at me, stunned by my casual greeting to my old friend.

'You know him?' he breathed. 'I mean, like, _personally?_ '

'Why are you so amazed by that?' I asked.

'What are you, a Muggle-born?' said the redhead. I frowned; not Muggle-born but yes, raised by Muggles at least. ' _This is Harry Potter!_ He's the one who defeated You-Know-Who!'

'You-Know-Who?' I repeated. 'Hang on, d'you mean Voldemort?' I asked. The boy flinched.

'Don't say his name!' he hissed.

I looked between Harry and the other boy. Slowly I began to realise what was going on.

'Your surname's Potter,' I said to Harry. 'You're the one who defeated the Dark Lord my Uncle told me about?' Harry nodded. 'How come you didn't tell me?'

'I didn't know,' said Harry. 'I only found out on my eleventh birthday a few weeks ago. I didn't even know I was a wizard.'

I honestly didn't know what to think at that moment. Harry, the boy I'd known since I was eight years old, was this "Boy Who Lived" who I'd heard about, the one who'd defeated the Dark Lord who wizards everywhere had feared. A wave of sadness for my friend rushed over me. His parents, they hadn't died in a car crash like Harry had told me. The Dark Lord had killed them before attempting to kill Harry too. And Harry hadn't known. He was famous and for something he probably couldn't even remember it. Not to me though. He was still just Harry to me, regardless of this new information I'd learnt about him. He was still just Harry.

'So you know who You-Know-Who is and yet you didn't know _he_ was Harry Potter?' the boy asked, directing his question more at me than Harry. 'Even Muggle-borns know who Harry Potter is. Those who know they have magic.'

'I knew about Harry Potter,' I replied, annoyed a bit by the boy's attitude. 'I just didn't know my friend was him. I grew up with Muggles just like he did. I didn't even know I had magic until I got my letter.'

'You didn't know you were a witch either?' Harry asked me.

'No.' I shook my head. 'I had no idea that I was a witch, nor that I came from a whole family of wizards. It wasn't until my Uncle found me at the orphanage that I learnt what I was and that my Mum had been killed. As for my Dad, he's missing. No one knows where he is.'

'Wow, Jenna,' said Harry, 'I'm sorry to hear about your mum. But at least your uncle found you. At least you've still got some family left.'

I nodded.

'But what about you?' I then asked. 'Learning your parents were murdered, that's horrible, and that you stopped this Dark wizard when he tried to kill you too. I mean, that's just insane.'

'I know,' said Harry. 'I'm some famous wizard everyone knows and yet I don't know anything about the wizarding world or what happened other than what I've been told.'

Beside us the redhead boy was watching as Harry and I talked to each other like the two friends we were. I saw in the corner of my eye he was staring at us, his mouth hanging opened ever so slightly. Harry noticed too. He laughed at the boy's expression. A red flush began in his cheeks, almost matching the colour of his hair.

'Sorry, Ron,' said Harry, 'Jenna and I haven't seen each other for ages. We've known each other since we were eight. We went to school together.'

Ron didn't seem to know how to respond to the idea of someone knowing Harry personally and merely nodded. Something, however, still seemed to be pressing on Ron's mind.

'And have you really got – you know …'

For some reason Ron pointed at Harry's forehead. Harry nodded and lifted his fringe, revealing the lightning bolt scar. Ron's eyes widened.

'So that's where You-Know-Who –?'

'Yes,' said Harry, 'but I can't remember it.'

'Nothing?' asked Ron eagerly.

'Well – I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else.'

'Wow,' he breathed. He remained staring at Harry for a good few minutes before realising what he was doing and looking quickly out of the window.

'So that's why you got that scar?' I asked. Harry nodded.

'It's apparently where the curse touched me,' said Harry. He rubbed his forehead. 'That's what I've been told at least.'

 _A curse that kills people_ , I thought to myself. I felt a shiver go down my spine. Harry had said he'd seen a green light too, just like I had when those Dementors were near me a few weeks ago. Maybe whatever curse that had killed his parents was the same one that had killed my Mum. It was a horrible thought, the idea that wizards had the power to kill someone with a single spell.

Beside us Ron was still staring fixedly out of the window. Harry nodded his head towards him then asked Ron about his family. It sounded like Ron came from one of the old wizarding families Lupin had told me were pure-bloods, where magic had been in their families for generations. Ron had five older brothers, a fact that he seemed quite despondent about. I wasn't sure why at first but he explained having all those siblings go through Hogwarts meant he felt like he had a lot to live up to. That sounded fair enough, I suppose. He too had been on the receiving end of his older brothers' hand-me-downs.

'I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand and Percy's old rat.' From his pocket he pulled out a fat grey rat. It was fast asleep, curled up in a small furry ball. It did look quite pathetic to be honest. 'His name's Scabbers and he's useless,' Ron said, 'he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my Dad for being made a Prefect, but they couldn't aff– I mean, I got Scabbers instead.'

Ron's ears went pink. I too felt a small wave of embarrassment. Lupin didn't have much gold either and yet I had loads left to me from my parents. I knew exactly what Ron had meant to say. I kind of felt sorry for him, despite the initial irritation I had felt upon meeting him. Harry must've felt this too. He'd never had anything but his cousin's old stuff as well.

'It's OK, Ron,' said Harry, seeing this. 'When I lived with the Dursleys, all I ever got were my cousin Dudley's old clothes,' he tugged at the shirt he was wearing, 'and his broken toys. I only ever got second-hand stuff from him.' Ron seemed to perk up at this. 'I never had anything of my own or any money and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort –'

Ron gasped.

'What?' asked Harry.

' _You said You-Know-Who's name!_ ' said Ron. He sounded both shocked and awed at the same time.

'So?' said Harry, confused. 'Jenna said it earlier. Why is it so bad to say his name?'

'Because,' said Ron, as if it was obvious. 'No one ever says his name! Everyone's too afraid to do so. I would have thought – I mean, you of all people –'

'I'm not trying to be _brave_ or anything, saying the name,' said Harry. 'I just never knew you shouldn't.'

I didn't know that either. Clearly there were still a lot of things I didn't know about the wizarding world despite having tried to read and learn as much as I could from Lupin about it. Harry probably knew even less than I did and considering we were both from wizarding families, that was pretty poor indeed. Ron assured us though that we wouldn't be the only ones. Many wizards and witches came from Muggle families so there were bound to be others in the same position.

'They learn quick enough,' Ron said. 'Even some who grew up in wizarding families aren't the best when they start Hogwarts. My brother Percy still can't ride a broom that well. He would never join us when we played Quidditch at home so he was pretty useless on a broom when he started there.'

By now London had completely disappeared as the Hogwarts Express travelled deep into the countryside. Outside the window row upon row of fields and farmland passed us by as the train sped through it, a blur of green in the distance. At about half past twelve a short dimpled woman slid back the door of our compartment to ask if we wanted anything from the lunch trolley she was pushing. Harry leapt to his feet while Ron appeared to shrink into his. I had a packed lunch Lupin had made for me so I wasn't in need of anything, plus I had the sweets he'd bought me from Diagon Alley so I decided against buying anything for now. I wanted to save my money in case I needed anything later on. A few minutes later Harry returned, his arms full of various sweets and cakes. Ron stared longingly at the lot when he tipped it on to the seat next to him.

'Hungry, are you?' he asked.

'Starving,' said Harry, taking a large bite from a pumpkin pasty.

From his bag Ron had pulled out a rather lumpy package containing the sandwiches his mum had made him. He wrinkled his nose when he saw it was corned beef, saying his mum always forgot he didn't like it. Upon Harry's insistence Ron helped himself to some of Harry's food, gratefully tucking into a pasty as well. His sandwiches lay forgotten on the empty seat. Harry even offered me some of his sweets despite having my lunch Lupin had given me. Still, I wasn't one to pass up a cauldron cake. A lot of the sweets seemed to confuse Harry, asking Ron about the Chocolate Frogs he'd brought. Ron explained to him that inside the packets were collectible cards with a famous witch or wizard on them. Harry opened one of the Frogs and picked up the card.

'So _this_ is Dumbledore!' Harry gasped, staring at the card.

I looked at the card over his shoulder. Sure enough, I saw the same twinkling blue eyes that I saw a month ago at the orphanage and the same kind smile. Harry turned the card over to read the back.

 _Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts.  
_ _Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern  
_ _times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for  
_ _his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindlewald in 1945,  
_ _for his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's  
_ _blood and for his work on alchemy with his partner,  
_ _Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys  
_ _chamber music and tenpin bowling._

When Harry turned the card back over, Dumbledore was gone.

Forgetting about the Frogs themselves, Harry opened several more packets building up his own collection of cards. When they were gone he and Ron tucked into a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, a sweet that I personally didn't like. They meant it when they said every flavour, and the first time I tried them I got one flavoured like what I imagined a dirty sock would taste. I had stayed away from them since.

A little while later there was a knock on our compartment. A small round-faced boy about our age opened the door, peering inside our compartment like he was looking for something. He seemed quite upset.

'Sorry,' he said, 'but you haven't seen a toad at all?' Harry, Ron and I shook our heads. 'I've lost him,' wailed the boy. 'He keeps getting away from me!'

'He'll turn up,' said Harry.

'Yeah,' said the boy dully. 'Well, if you see him …' and he disappeared up the corridor.

'Don't know why he's so bothered,' muttered Ron. 'If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.' He poked the snoozing rat in his lap. 'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference. I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look …'

Ron stood on his seat and reached up into his trunk. From it he pulled out a very battered-looking wand. My empathy with Ron increased when I saw it. It looked like one last spell could break it. You could just see a flick of white sticking out its tip.

'Unicorn hair's nearly poking out,' he muttered. 'Anyway –'

Ron had just raised his wand when our compartment door opened a second time and the boy from earlier entered, this time alongside a bushy-haired girl already dressed in her Hogwarts robes. She looked round the compartment with a certain air about her that gave me the impression she was a bit stuck up.

'Has anyone seen a toad?' she said. I could tell by her tone she was losing her patience with the boy. She also had rather large front teeth. 'Neville's lost one.'

'We've already told him we haven't seen it,' said Ron.

The girl wasn't listening though. She was looking at Ron's wand.

'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then.'

She sat on the empty seat beside me opposite Ron.

'Er – all right.'

Ron cleared his throat.

'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.'

He waved his wand. It gave a feeble spark but nothing happened. Scabbers remained asleep in his lap. The girl smiled.

'Are you sure that's a real spell?' she said. 'Well, it's not very good, is it?' Harry, Ron and I shared a look. Who was she to judge someone's magic when we were all first-years? 'I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way,' she then added, as if it were an afterthought, 'who are you?'

I blinked when she'd finished. She'd said this all so fast I didn't realise at first she had addressed her question at me. I just stared at her and said, 'Pardon?'

'What's your name?' she repeated.

'I'm Jenna,' I said, 'Jenna Black.' It was weird having a surname.

'Have you tried any magic?'

'Er, not really,' I said. 'I had a look but I haven't tried anything yet.'

'Well go on,' said Hermione. 'Try one now.'

I felt slightly on the spot at Hermione's insistence that I tried a spell, especially after Ron's embarrassment. My eyes darted around the compartment for something to do a spell on. I noticed the tape that was holding Harry's glasses together was still there. Maybe I could fix them or something? I think I remember reading a spell that fixed broken objects. Taking a breath, I took out my wand and pointed it at Harry's glasses. He jumped slightly.

' _Reparo_ ,' I said. The sellotape that was around Harry's glasses came ripping off and vanished in a puff of smoke. I jumped, not having expected the spell to work. Harry took off his glasses and examined them. The break was gone.

'Not bad,' said Hermione. She didn't sound that impressed though. She then turned to Harry and Ron, asking, 'So you are?'

'I'm Ron Weasley,' Ron muttered.

'Harry Potter,' said Harry.

'Are you really?' said Hermione. 'I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_.'

'Am I?' asked Harry.

'Goodness, didn't you know?' said Hermione as if it was obvious. 'I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad … Anyway we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.'

And with that, Hermione left, taking the toadless Neville with her.

'Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it,' said Ron.

Silently I agreed.

The subject of the Houses at Hogwarts seemed to be an important one, particularly among the first-year students. From what I had read up about Hogwarts, there had been four founders of the school, each with a school House named after them: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. All of Ron's brothers and his parents had been Gryffindors, just like my Mum and Lupin had been too. Each House seemed to have a certain set of characteristics in the students it took that, when I read about them, I felt none seemed to match me. I didn't feel brave like a Gryffindor; I wasn't smart like a Ravenclaw; nor did I see myself as loyal like a Hufflepuff. I'd never been in situations where those qualities had shone in me. The only one I seemed to match was Slytherin because of the amount of trouble I used to get into. Slytherin was known for its students becoming interested in Dark Arts though. The idea of being placed in Slytherin made me shiver.

The conversation diverted when Harry asked Ron what his brothers who had finished Hogwarts did, and Ron remembered an article in the _Daily Prophet_ about a break in at Gringotts. Someone had tried to steal something from one of the high security vaults apparently. It was such big news because the person managed to get away despite the fact nothing was taken. It had people worried though, thinking that You-Know-Who was possibly behind it. Ron immediately changed the subject again to the more enjoyable topic of Quidditch. Ron was just getting into detail of describing the game to Harry and me when our compartment door opened a third time.

I looked up to see who it was this time, thinking Hermione and the toadless Neville were back again. It wasn't them. Instead a pale looking boy with a pointed face entered our compartment with two more rather large and thick-looking boys beside him. He had a shock of white hair that was slicked back off his face while the other two were dark-haired in the style of buzzcuts. It made them look almost like the pale boy's bodyguards. Harry seemed to recognise the pale one. I watched him closely as his grey eyes examined us. Something about him looked familiar to me too but I couldn't place what it was about him that gave me that feeling.

'Is it true?' he asked, looking at us. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?' he asked, directing the question at Harry.

'Yes,' replied Harry shortly. He was eyeing the pale boy's friends.

'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly. He pointed at each one in turn. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'

 _Malfoy …_ I thought to myself. _Where do I know that name?_ I had a feeling I'd heard it before somewhere. Was it in a book? On the wizard radio network perhaps? Why did I know that name?

Ron let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a snigger. Malfoy glared at him.

'Think my name's funny, do you?' he sneered. 'No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.'

Ron flushed. I frowned. This Malfoy boy seemed deeply unpleasant. He turned back to Harry.

'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.' His eyes shot towards Ron. 'I can help you there.'

Malfoy held out his hand. Harry didn't take it.

'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' said Harry coolly. I smiled when I noticed the pink tinge start in Malfoy's pale cheeks.

'I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you.'

Harry and Ron both got to their feet. Ron's face was as red as his hair. I remained where I was, concerned a fight might start between them but not knowing what to do. Normally I wouldn't have shied away when someone had insulted me but this was a fight where magic could get involved. I had a feeling wizards didn't fight the same way Muggles did. Harry told Malfoy to leave but he refused, saying they'd run out of food. One of the large boys, Goyle, went to reach for one of our Chocolate Frogs beside Ron but leapt back before he'd so much as touched one. Scabbers had woken up and bitten Goyle's finger; Goyle howled in pain and tried to shake him off, Scabbers swinging round and round until – smack! Scabbers let go and went flying into the window, landing with a soft thump on the floor. The three boys then disappeared, only to once again be replaced by the arrival of Hermione Granger.

'What _has_ been going on?' she asked, looking at the mess in our compartment and the unconscious rat in Ron's hand, hanging by his tail.

'I think he's been knocked out,' said Ron. He took a closer look at Scabbers. 'No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep.' Sure enough, the rat was once again asleep, its eyes shut and body still. 'You've met Malfoy before?' he then asked Harry.

'Yeah, in Diagon Alley,' said Harry. 'He was in Madam Malkin's when I got my robes and was as obnoxious there as he was just then.'

'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark side. Can we help you with something?'

Hermione was still in the compartment.

'You'd better hurry up and put your robes on,' she said bossily, 'I've just been up to the front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!'

'Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron indignantly. 'Would you mind leaving us while we change?'

'All right – I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,' huffed Hermione. 'You can come and change in my compartment if you want, Jenna,' she then said to me, 'instead of changing with these boys.'

'I'm OK, thanks,' I replied.

'Fine,' said Hermione. 'And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?'

Ron glared at her as she left.

Darkness had almost completely fallen by the time the train started to slow. Looking out the window the countryside had now been replaced by forests and in the distanced loomed tall mountains. The sky was now a deep purple, the sun setting just behind the trees. Seeing as we were almost there, Harry, Ron and I reached into our trunks and pulled out our uniforms. We changed with our backs to each other, stripping off our home clothes and replacing them with our robes. As we weren't in our Houses yet, our plain work robes and black ties were all we had to wear over our white shirts and grey trousers, a skirt in my case. I pulled them on, leaving the top button of my shirt undone, as I wasn't used to how constricting it felt, and pulled on my long grey socks as far as I could in an effort to make my skirt seem longer. I was not a fan of the pleated knee-length skirt one bit.

The train pulled into a dark station. With a voice telling us to leave our trunks on the train, Harry, Ron and I left our compartment and joined the queue of students in the corridor as they got off the train. The station we'd arrived at was small compared to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, with only one platform, a single building built along its length. There were lamps hanging above us to illuminate our way. The older students were already walking towards the end of the platform to travel up to the school. Not knowing whether to follow or not the three of us remained where we were until a voice came shouting over the crowd.

'Firs'-years! Firs'-years this way!'

A lantern came swinging above the students' heads. I looked round to see the man carrying it was much larger than anyone I'd seen before. The crowd parted either side of him as his large frame stomped down the platform to where we stood with the other scared looking first-years. His face was almost completely obscured by the wild black mass of hair he had, both on his head and as his beard. I could just see a pair of black eyes glinting in the light through it. He waved a massive hand as he summoned the first-years to him.

'Firs'-years!' he called again. 'Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry?'

Harry beamed when the man spoke to him. I assumed this must have been Hagrid, the man whom Harry had told us about on the train.

'C'mon, follow me – any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!'

Hagrid led us off the platform but then away from where the older students were getting into carriages to go up to the school. We followed as he led us down a steep, narrow dirt track towards a bank where a dozen or so little boats were moored on the black water. None of us spoke. In the silence you could just hear the odd sniff coming from Neville. It was then we got our first glimpse of Hogwarts and a rush of awe broke the silence. On top of a large mountain in the distance stood a castle, its towers reaching high into the sky and its windows glowing with a warm light. Hagrid gathered us by the lake and instructed us to get into the boats four at a time. Neville got into the one I shared with Harry and Ron; across from us I saw Hermione get into one with three other girls. I could see her talking incessantly at them about something.

'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid. He was sat in a boat all to himself due to his large frame. 'Right then – FORWARD!'

With a wave of what looked suspiciously like a pink umbrella, the boats pushed off from the bank and sailed across the lake towards the castle.

I watched as we glided across the glassy lake, the ripples disturbing the still water as we travelled through it. I looked up as we approached the castle, the building and its battlements getting bigger the closer we got. It towered over us, a massive structure built deep into the rock of the mountain. I could see in the distance a long staircase lit by lamps all along it travelling down the side of the mountain connecting the castle to a small building with a mini turret on its roof. Hagrid called for us to duck as we passed under a curtain of ivy hanging just before it, and we entered the building one boat at a time. Once our boat had stopped, Harry, Ron and I climbed out on to the floor of the Boathouse we were in.

'Oy, you there!' called Hagrid to Neville beside us. He'd been checking the boats to make sure everyone could get out. 'Is this your toad?'

'Trevor!' cried Neville happily. He held out his hands and took the dark green toad from Hagrid.

'Right, this way!' Hagrid called.

We exited the Boathouse through a door in its back wall. With Hagrid in the lead we climbed the vast staircase up the side of the mountain towards the castle. It seemed to take forever to get to the top. It made me glad I had spent many years running away from boys at the orphanage who tried to chase me. It meant I was fit enough to manage the climb. Others I saw began to huff from exhaustion about halfway up. The stairs zigged and zagged their way up the mountain, travelling in one direction then in another. When we reached the top we walked through a courtyard over to a large building before us. At the top of a small flight of steps was a pair of large oak doors.

'Everyone here? You there, still got your toad?'

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. Slowly the swung open, revealing another smaller chamber and a second pair of large doors I assumed led to the main hall straight ahead of us. We walked into the building. The Entrance Hall was massive. The ceiling stood at least fifty feet above us and you could fit at least three times the number of students inside it. To our right was a large Marble Staircase leading to several more staircases from what I could see. In front of the second set of doors stood a rather strict-looking woman whose black hair was tied up in the same tight bun as it was the first day I met her. She was even wearing the same tartan, emerald-green robes and stern expression. Professor McGonagall watched as we gathered in front of her, the large oak doors closing behind us. She thanked Hagrid and led us into a small chamber just off to the left of the one we were currently standing in. The second one was much smaller and we had to crowd in to all fit.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall briskly. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend free time in your House common room.

'The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

Her eyes fell upon the smudge on Ron's nose and the hood of Neville's cloak that was caught on his ear that he hadn't noticed. Beside me Harry was using his hand to flatten his hair. Nervously I gathered my hair into my hand and tied a hair-band from my pocket around it. Even with it now in a ponytail at the back of my head, its length still reached far down my back.

'I shall return when we are ready for you.'

With a stern look, Professor McGonagall left the chamber.

My mind was buzzing. I was both excited but also nervous. The thought of the Sorting worried me. I recalled Lupin telling me how children tended to get Sorted into the same House as their parents and families. While I knew that my Mum and Lupin had been in Gryffindor, and my grandfather had been in Ravenclaw, I had no idea where my father and his family had been placed. And what was the Sorting anyway? What did we have to do to find out what House we were to be in? I was drawn from my thoughts though when a series of screams and gasps grabbed my attention. I looked round to see what all the fuss was about. Without realising we were here a group of at least twenty ghosts flew through the back wall and into the chamber, deep in their own conversations.

'I say, what are you all doing here?'

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed us all standing here. The ghost he was talking to, a rather rounded friar, looked at us then realised we were the new students. They were shooed away when Professor McGonagall returned. One by one they floated away back through the walls. She instructed us to form a line then took us back through the Entrance Hall. The second pair of doors opened in front of us and Professor McGonagall led us into the Great Hall.

Even in my wildest dreams I don't think I could have imagined just quite what the Great Hall would look like. The room was illuminated by thousands of candles floating in the air above us, and the torches burning brightly in their brackets along the walls going down the length of the Hall. Four long tables stretched along the floor where the rest of the students were already sat, a handful of empty seats at the far end ready for the new students. Every place was set with glittering golden plates and goblets with silver knives and forks. Dotted in amongst the students were the ghosts from earlier, glowing almost pearly silver in the light. At the far end of the Hall I saw there was another long table that all the teachers were sat at. In the centre, sitting in a throne-like chair, was Professor Dumbledore who was watching us with a warm smile on his face. As we walked down the central aisle towards the platform with the staff table, hundreds of faces watched us closely. I could see some straining to see over their friends to catch a glimpse of Harry who was just ahead of me. Harry meanwhile was staring at the ceiling that was as black as the night sky outside and dotted with tiny stars.

'It's bewitched,' came Hermione's voice just behind me, 'to look like the sky outside, I read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_.'

 _Bookworm_ , I thought silently.

Professor McGonagall climbed the two steps on to the platform, indicating for us to gather in front of her with the scroll she had in her hand. She walked off briefly to the side then returned carrying a four-legged stool upon which she placed a very old looking wizard's hat. It was patched and frayed from what looked like years of use, and there was a large rip just above its brim. What little noise that had been in the Hall fell silent as the students were now all watching this hat. I frowned, wondering what was going to happen. After a moments stillness, the tip of the hat twitched and the rip opened wide like a mouth as the hat began to sing.

 _'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
_ _But don't judge on what you see,  
_ _I'll eat myself if you can find  
_ _A smarter hat than me.  
_ _You can keep your bowlers black,  
_ _Your top hats sleek and tall,  
_ _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
_ _And I can cap them all.  
_ _There's nothing hidden in your head  
_ _The Sorting Hat can't see,  
_ _So try me on and I will tell you  
_ _Where you ought to be.  
_ _You might belong in Gryffindor,  
_ _Where dwell the brave at heart,  
_ _Their daring, nerve and chivalry  
_ _Set Gryffindors apart;  
_ _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
_ _Where they are just and loyal,  
_ _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
_ _And unafraid of toil;  
_ _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
_ _If you've a ready mind,  
_ _Where those of wit and learning,  
_ _Will always find their kind;  
_ _Or perhaps in Slytherin,  
_ _You'll make your real friends,  
_ _Those cunning folk use any means  
_ _To achieve their ends.  
_ _So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
_ _And don't get in a flap!  
_ _You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
_ _For I'm a Thinking Cap!'_

The Hat bowed when it finished its song and a round of applause went throughout the Hall. Its tip flopped forward and once again it was silent. I thought about what it had sang. All we had to do was try it on and it would be able to tell us what House we should be in. Well that didn't seem too bad, I guess. Professor McGonagall, who had been standing next to the Hat, unrolled her scroll and cleared her throat.

'When I call your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'

I tensed when I realised that we were being called alphabetically. My name was Black, which meant unless there were other students whose name began with an "A" or anything before the first two letters of my surname, I'd be next. The small girl with blonde pigtails sat on the stool and the Hat was placed on her head, falling over her eyes. A moment later –

'HUFFLEPUFF!' the Hat shouted.

The table to our far left clapped and cheered. The blonde girl pulled off the Hat and ran over to take a seat next to one of her new Housemates.

'Black, Jennifer!'

I winced a bit at my full name. Harry and Ron glanced over their shoulders at me. I swallowed then made my way through the group to the front. I walked up to the stool and sat down on it. Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on my head. Again it fell over my eyes just like it had done with the previous girl. It remained still for a moment then all of a sudden I felt it jerk alive on my head.

'Well, well, who do we have here?' said a voice. It was the Hat. Its voice was loud as if it was speaking to everyone in the Hall but at the same time it felt like it was speaking only to me. 'A strong mind and a brave spirit but a very contradicting family history. Yes, I remember your father. He was hard to place as well. Would have done well in Slytherin like the rest of his family but he was determined not to be placed there like the rest of them.'

 _My father was almost in Slytherin?_ I thought, not realising the Hat could hear me. I felt my stomach sink. Dark wizards came from Slytherin. If my entire family from my father's side had been placed in that House, did that mean they were all supporters of Dark magic?

'Oh yes, for generations the Blacks have been Sorted into that House,' the Hat told me, 'but he was so determined not to be like them that I chose to place him elsewhere. He did well though in his House, so even I can be wrong sometimes. As for you, you have the same determination, the same desire as him … so where to put you?' mused the Hat in my head. 'A hidden talent, indeed, and the potential for great magic. But which House is best to show that?'

I closed my eyes, despite already not being able to see anything but the brim of the Hat. I tensed, dreading it saying Slytherin.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

I felt the Hat be pulled off my head and I opened my eyes, the bright lights of the Hall dazzling me momentarily. A sense of relief swept over me. I wasn't in Slytherin. I then noticed the cheers and applause that was coming from the table to the left of where I had been previously with the group of first-years. It felt weird to have people you didn't even know cheer for you when you hadn't actually done anything. I could instantly see three red-haired boys sitting together, the twins from the train both cheering loudly. I assumed they were Ron's brothers, the twins being Fred and George and the other one being Percy. Getting off the stool, I hurried over to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to one of the Weasley twins. I smiled at Harry and Ron encouragingly as I passed. The Weasley twins grinned at me as I took a seat next to them, one of them patting me on the back enthusiastically.

One by one the students were Sorted into their Houses. I sat and watched as they would sit with the Hat on their head while it deliberated then shout out the House they were to be in. I clapped as Bones went to Hufflepuff and Boot and Brocklehurst joined Ravenclaw, waiting with anticipation to find out if Harry and Ron were going to join me in Gryffindor. A girl named Lavender Brown joined me next in Gryffindor while Millicent Bulstrode became the first new student in Slytherin. Only the Slytherins seemed to cheer for her while the other three Houses clapped out of necessity rather than joy. It was weird, as if there was an unspoken animosity already present between the Houses. The two boys who had been with Malfoy on the train, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, soon joined Slytherin too.

'Granger, Hermione!'

I sat up in my seat when I heard Hermione's name be called. I was curious as to where she'd be placed. If I were to bet on it, I would have guessed she'd be placed in Ravenclaw, judging by how much she seemed to show off what she already knew about the school and magic. She did seem quite intelligent. She practically ran to the stool, jamming the Hat on her head so that her bushy hair was sticking out from under the brim. For nearly four minutes the Hat sat silently on her head as I presumed it was talking to her as it had done with me.

'Blimey,' whispered one of the Weasley twins beside me. 'She could be a Hatstall. That rarely ever happens!'

Not a moment later though, the Hat called out, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

Hermione once again pulled the Hat off before Professor McGonagall could do so herself and ran over to the Gryffindor table where I was sat with Lavender Brown and the first Gryffindor boy, Seamus Finnigan. She was beside herself with joy as she sat down, a large grin on her face exposing her front teeth. I smiled hesitantly in congratulations when she looked towards me. I wasn't looking forward to sharing a House with her.

After Greengrass joined Slytherin, Hopkins and Jones went to Hufflepuff, and Li was put in Ravenclaw, the toad-losing boy Neville Longbottom was called to be Sorted. I cringed as he stumbled up the steps, a laugh going round the students as he fell over. Like Hermione, the Hat took a long time before it decided where to put Neville, in the end shouting out 'GRYFFINDOR' much to what looked like Neville's relief. He was so eager to get off the stool that he ran off still wearing the Hat and had to sheepishly jog back to return it to Professor McGonagall. He took his seat at the Gryffindor table opposite me. His ears were bright red and he kept his eyes down until the next name, 'MacDougal, Morag!' had been called.

With Ernest Macmillan going to Hufflepuff along with Roger Malone, Eloise Midgeon and Libby Moon, and Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson and (unsurprisingly) Malfoy all joining Slytherin, the House tables were slowly filling up. A pair of identical twins, Padma and Parvati Patil, were separated with Padma joining the Ravenclaw table while Parvati and another girl called Sally-Anne Perks joined the Gryffindor one. There were now seven of us in total. Wondering who would be next, I perked up when I heard Harry's name be called.

'Potter, Harry!'

A sudden whisper went round the entire Hall. Once again students began straining to see what this Harry Potter looked like. The ones at the back of the Hall were even standing up, trying to get a glimpse of him. Harry stepped forward from the diminished group of students left to be Sorted. He sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on his head. I watched nervously. Harry seemed to grip the edges of the stool as the Hat decided where to put him.

After a couple of minutes, it shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

The loudest applause of the night rang through the Great Hall. He stumbled shakily as he walked over to where I was sitting. The whole table was cheering wildly; the Fred and George were joyously shouting, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!' while Percy vigorously shook his hand when Harry went to take a seat. Harry slid into the seat between Parvati Patil and myself. We shared a smile, Harry looking thoroughly relieved about being put in Gryffindor with me. He shivered though when the ghost with the ruff from before patted him on the shoulder.

Ron was one of the last to be Sorted after Oliver Rivers (Hufflepuff), Sophie Roper (Slytherin), Penelope Runcorn (Slytherin as well), Zacharias Smith (Hufflepuff), Dean Thomas (Gryffindor) and Lisa Turpin (Ravenclaw). Instead of the red he had been on the train, he was now looking decidedly pale and green. I bit my lip as Harry and I waited for him to be placed. We needn't have worried though as seconds later Ron was joining us and his brothers when the Hat shouted out, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

'Well done, Ron, excellent,' said Percy pompously.

The final student, Blaise Zabini, was Sorted into Slytherin, and with that Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. A hush then fell over the Great Hall once again. Professor Dumbledore had stood up from his seat. He smiled at all the students before him with his arms open wide in greeting.

'Welcome!' he said. 'Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

'Thank you!'

Professor Dumbledore sat back down. Around us all the older students were clapping and cheering. Harry, Ron and I looked at each other in confusion. That was a bit odd for an opening speech, wasn't it? When Harry asked Percy about it, Percy replied simply that he was the best wizard in the world, but definitely a bit mad. I didn't know if that was reassuring or not. I didn't have time to dwell on it though. Piles of food had just appeared from nowhere on the previously empty platters that had been on the table. I had never seen so much food in my life than what was in front of me now. When Professor McGonagall had said it was a banquet, she wasn't wrong. There was so much to choose from: roasts of all kinds including lamb and beef, pork chops and sausages, dishes full of peas and carrots and potatoes, plates of Yorkshire puddings, and jugs of gravy and pumpkin juice. Unsure what to have I helped myself to my favourite things, tucking into the roast chicken I had chosen. It was better than anything I had ever tasted before. Harry too was helping himself to as much as he wanted while Ron was already stuffing his face with the roast potatoes.

Beside us was the ghost who had put his arm round Harry earlier. He stared longingly at the food. When asked if he was able to eat, the ghost sniffed and said he hadn't eaten for almost four hundred years. I guess anyone would look longingly at food if they hadn't eaten for _that_ long. He then introduced himself as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington and told us that he was the ghost of Gryffindor.

'I know who you are!' said Ron suddenly. His mouth was full of chicken. 'My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!'

'I would _prefer_ you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy –' he said stiffly, only to be interrupted by Seamus Finnigan.

' _Nearly_ Headless?' he asked. He was Irish by the sounds of his accent. 'How can you be _nearly_ headless?'

'Like this,' replied Nick, visibly irritated. And he took hold of his left ear and pulled. His entire head separated from his neck and fell limply on to his shoulder, still attached by the smallest bit of pale flesh. I cringed at the sight. So that's what happened when a beheading goes wrong. Clearly pleased by our reactions, Nick flipped his head back on to his neck and changed the conversation.

When everyone had finished their first courses, whatever was left on the platters and dishes vanished to be replaced with mountains of desserts. I assumed the plates had all been cleaned magically as they didn't change. I eyed up the towers of profiteroles and bowls full of trifle, deciding instead to settle on a large slice of chocolate cake. Cake had always been my favourite treat at the orphanage and because we didn't get it that often, I always tried to make whatever cake I did get last as long as possible. I had the feeling I didn't need to worry about that here and so happily ate my slice until my bowl was empty. By now the first-year students were happily conversing with each other. It appeared that all first-years seemed to have the same topic in mind: our families.

'I'm half and half,' explained Seamus. He swallowed the spoonful of apple pie he was eating. 'My dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.' We laughed.

'What about you, Neville?' asked Ron.

'Well, my Gran brought me up and she's a witch,' said Neville, 'but the family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great-uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by my ankles when my great-auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced – all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great-uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad.'

I sat and listened to the conversations with a strange curiosity. Everyone came from such different backgrounds but while most of the Gryffindors all seemed to be at least half-bloods, Neville sounded like he came from another one of those old pure-blood families, like Ron did. It made me think. Neville hadn't done anything magical until he was eight years old and yet he had some of the strongest ties to magic, while I had caused several things to happen with magic without realising it and I had more Muggle origins than wizard ones. But according to what the Sorting Hat had told me, my father's family had been in Slytherin for generations. From Slytherins reputation I assumed that meant they had to be of almost pure-blood status to be continually placed in that House. If that was indeed the case, then surely that would make me closer to a pure-blood witch than a half-blood, wouldn't it? I know my Mum and Uncle were half-bloods, my grandmother being a Muggle. If so then I was from a long line of wizards and yet I barely knew anything about the world I was from. I felt embarrassed. What if I couldn't live up to that? Maybe I'd be as bad at magic as Neville seemed to be despite my blood status.

Once again the desserts vanished when the students were finished. At the far end of the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once more to address the students. Silence fell in the Hall.

'Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

'First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.'

Despite being sat quite far away from him, I could have sworn Professor Dumbledore's eyes were looking at someone directly behind me. I turned round to see Fred and George grinning at each other.

'I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

'Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interest in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

'And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.'

Beside me Harry laughed. He was one of few who did. I didn't. Being told somewhere was out of bounds because you might die if you went there didn't sound like anything to laugh about.

'It's odd,' said Percy, frowning, 'because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us Prefects, at least.'

Professor Dumbledore ended dinner by getting the students to sing the school song. With a flick of his wand, a long golden ribbon flew above where the teachers sat. It twisted itself into the words of the song. There was no tune to it though and so we each had to pick one to sing it too. It wasn't actually that pleasant to hear, all the different voices and notes clashing together, although hearing Fred and George sing it to the funeral march was quite amusing.

With the song finished, we were dismissed.

Taking charge, Percy called to all us first-years to follow him. Full of food I got up and joined Harry and Ron to follow him out of the Great Hall. Ahead of us the older students were all climbing the Marble Staircase to go to their separate common rooms. When we reached the top of the Marble Staircase I saw in front of me countless more. I gaped at how high up they went. Staircase upon staircase reached up to the floors above us, the walls of the tower we were in lined with portraits, all of which were moving. Every so often I saw one of the staircases close itself off then swing itself round to meet another platform on another floor. With a warning from Percy that the staircases liked to change at will, he led us up the stairs all the way to the seventh floor. We walked down the seventh floor corridor at a slowed pace, all of us tired and full from the feast. Even I was starting to feel sleepy. That's why I bumped into Ron having not realised Percy had stopped us.

A bundle of walking sticks were floating above our heads all by themselves. I frowned. I thought it couldn't be a ghost because they were visible beings so what was controlling them? When Percy stepped forwards they started to swat at him, smacking him on the shoulder and the back of the leg.

'Peeves,' he whispered to us. 'A poltergeist. Peeves – show yourself!' he then called.

A strange squeaking sound came out of nowhere, like the sound of a balloon loosing all its air. With a threat from Percy to get the Bloody Baron, from nowhere appeared a squat little man with an extremely wide grin on his lips. He clutched the walking sticks in his arms while he sat there cross-legged in mid-air. We ducked as he cackled and swooped low over our heads. Next he stuck out his tongue and vanished. The walking sticks dropped right on Neville's head. In the distance we could hear the suits of armour rattle in the direction he had disappeared in.

We turned right and walked down a second corridor. At the very end hung a solitary portrait on an otherwise blank wall. In it was painted a very fat woman wearing the most garish pink dress I had ever seen. Made of what looked like silk, it was as large as the lady who wore it with layers of crinkled material in the skirt and an overly tight corset emphasising her already ample chest, the sleeves puffy and frilled at the ends as well. She greeted us warmly, noting that we must be the new first-years before asking for the password.

' _Caput Draconis_ ,' said Percy and she swung open.

A small archway was revealed and we walked inside. The Gryffindor Common Room was a large circular room filled with comfy looking armchairs and sofas. All of these as well as the curtains were made of red material to match the House colours. To the right of the entrance was a fireplace that already had a small fire burning in its grate, one of the sofas positioned just in front of it. Opposite the entrance were the staircases that led up to the dormitories, a notice board just to the left of them where already some signs had been pinned to it. The Tower looked warm and inviting, a good thing too considering this would be where we'd be living for the following year. I had a feeling that things weren't going to be all that bad after all when I knew I had a place like this to come back to each night. Percy pointed out the staircase that led up to the girls' dormitory then took the boys up their one. I said goodnight to Harry and Ron then joined the other four girls as we went upstairs.

A short way up the spiral staircase was a door with the words 'first-years' written on it. Parvati pushed open the door. Our dormitory was another smaller circular room with five four-poster beds going around the outside with a stove in the middle of the room for warmth. Each of our trunks were at the ends of the beds that were going to be ours. I found mine at the foot of the second bed to the left. To my dismay, Hermione's bed was next to mine. While Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne all started talking, I opened my trunk and rummaged through it. I found what I was looking for, a photo I had brought from home. I placed the framed picture of my Mum and Dad on the table beside my bed. I smiled at it, fingering the frame lightly as I watched them hug.

'Are those your parents?' I heard Hermione ask. I glanced back over my shoulder at her.

'Er, yeah,' I said.

'They must have been so proud the day you got your letter,' continued Hermione. She was already unpacking her things and putting her clothes in her chest of drawers. 'My parents were so happy the day I got mine. They couldn't believe it when they found out I was a witch but it certainly explained to them how I kept managing to get the biscuit tin out of the top cupboard when I was younger.'

I only half listened to Hermione as she started talking about what lessons we could have the next day. A part of me knew she was probably right; they would be proud of me, Mum if she knew and Dad, wherever he was. I continued to look at the photo for a moment longer before turning to get out of my robes and into my pyjamas. I got into my bed and lay down, staring up at the canopy above me. I smiled. Here I was at Hogwarts, ready to start to learn about magic and the world I was always meant to be a part of. I already had Ron as a new friend, and Harry was back by my side again which was more than I could have hoped for. The best part of it though was the thought that when the holidays came and the school year finished, I wouldn't be going back to The Refuge but going back to my home with Lupin.

* * *

 **The original chapter has now been split into two, which the second part of philosopher's stone might also be too, as i've gone into greater detail and hopefully more opinions and display's of Jenna's character.**


	6. Sheer Dumb Luck

Chapter 5

Sheer Dumb Luck

The following morning I was woken by Hermione's alarm clock going off. I turned over in my bed not wanting to get up before I remembered I wasn't at home but at Hogwarts and today was the first day of school. I got up and rubbed my eyes. The sun was shining brightly through the window between Parvati and Lavender's beds. They too were also starting to wake up. To my right Hermione was already brushing her bushy hair in the mirror over the sink and finding her toothbrush. From my trunk I pulled out a fresh shirt and pair of socks and pulled them on with my skirt. Upon my chair I found my black robes and tie from the previous day had been replaced. Instead there lay a new set of robes, black on the outside with a red inner lining and the Gryffindor lion embroidered on to the left breast side. On top of that was my new House tie, red as well with thin gold stripes going diagonally across it. I pulled them on and fastened up my robes. Dressed and ready I went down to breakfast with the other girls.

Breakfast was held back down in the Great Hall so it was easy enough to find the following morning. Harry and Ron weren't there when I arrived so reluctantly I stayed with Hermione as she talked incessantly to Parvati and Lavender. When they eventually got there they joined me. During breakfast Professor McGonagall came down the aisle handing out the timetables to all the Gryffindor students. I looked at mine to see we only had nine different subjects throughout the week. Most were during the day apart from Astronomy that was to be held at midnight on Wednesdays and we were to have Flying classes on Thursday afternoons from the second week of school. That was going to be interesting, having class late one night then have to get up for class at nine a.m. the next day. Bit harsh, wasn't it? Looking through my timetable I saw Harry, Ron and I had Herbology first which was down in the greenhouses in the castle grounds. Gathering our bags, we left the Great Hall to find our first class.

Getting around Hogwarts wasn't as easy as we first thought. When we walked out into the grounds through the doors we had come through the previous night the three of us suddenly realised that we didn't actually know where the Hogwarts greenhouses were. They could have at least provided us with a map of the school but I guess that would have been too easy. In the end we had to ask some passing students to point us in the right direction. This we found was a problem throughout most of the first week. Finding any of our classes was impossible due to the sheer size of the castle. It was very easy to end up in the wrong corridor or walking through the wrong door or going down the wrong staircase. Even the ghosts and portraits weren't much help despite them both being able to move freely around the entire castle. Nearly Headless Nick did try to help us find our classrooms at least.

As Percy had warned us the previous night, Peeves was indeed someone you had to keep your eyes out for. If you weren't careful you'd end up with a waste-paper basket on your head or he'd trip you up by pulling the rug out from underneath you. The fact he could turn invisible meant he could sneak up on you very easily. Worse than Peeves though was the caretaker, Filch. While Peeves could turn invisible, Filch could literally turn up anywhere. Harry, Ron and I got in trouble with him before the first morning's lessons were even over; we'd been looking for where our Charms class was when we took a wrong turn and ended up at the entrance to the third floor corridor which was out-of-bounds. If it weren't for Professor Quirrell turning up, we would have gotten detention. Filch also owned a pet cat called Mrs Norris. Normally I liked cats but this one I disliked with a passion. She would prowl the corridors for students who were causing trouble before disappearing in the blink of an eye to get Filch, who'd always appear seconds later wheezing and gasping to reprimand whichever student had been caught.

In spite of all this, lessons at Hogwarts were pretty interesting and were quite fun too. After only a couple days worth of classes I was already beginning to wonder how Muggles got along day-to-day without it. Each lesson was very different to the next as were their teachers. Herbology was taught by a dumpy little witch named Professor Sprout who showed us how to take care of all kinds of strange little plants and fungi; during Astronomy lessons on Wednesday night with Professor Sinistra we were sat outside on the Astronomy Tower Platform freezing in the cold night air while we studied the different constellations; Defence Against the Dark Arts, a class Harry, Ron and I had been looking forward to, seemed to be a bit of a joke as it was taught by Professor Quirrell, a nervous young teacher who looked like he'd jump at his own shadow if he didn't expect it, ironic considering he was meant to be teaching us how to protect ourselves; and as for Charms, it was taught by Professor Flitwick, a short wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over the top of his desk and had gotten so excited in our first lesson when he read out Harry's name that he toppled backwards out of sight.

History of Magic, which we had second period Thursday morning, was easily the most boring class we had. From what I overheard Hermione saying, the teacher, Professor Binns, was a ghost. He had fallen asleep in the staff-room one evening and when he got up to teach the next day he walked out leaving his body behind not having realised he'd died. Professor Binns had one of those voices that could easily send you to sleep; he would drone on about Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball, his tone monotonous and uninteresting, not realising that about halfway through he had got them mixed up.

Transfiguration was probably my second favourite class overall after Charms. Professor McGonagall taught her classes very differently to the other teachers. Like she had been at the Sorting, Professor McGonagall was brisk and strict with us from the moment we stepped into her classroom, making it clear that she wasn't going to take anyone messing around in her lessons and if they did, they would leave and not return. As soon as she changed her desk into a pig though, and back again, I knew it would be a class I would want to work hard in. Our first lesson did mainly consist of note taking but we got to try out a spell at the end of the lesson where we had to turn a matchstick into a needle. I didn't fair too badly, managing to get it entirely silver in colour but it still lit when it was struck. Hermione, unsurprisingly after a few lessons with her, managed to get hers almost completely transfigured.

If it was possible to hate a teacher before you had been in his class for five minutes, I managed it with Professor Snape, the Potions Master. We had double Potions on Friday morning with the Slytherins and so had made our way down to the dungeons after breakfast to where the Potions classroom was located. The dungeons were cold and dark, much more so than the rest of the castle. The Potions classroom wasn't much better. It was dimly lit room with arched ceilings as there was no natural light coming from outside and there were rows upon rows of shelves with jars of pickled animals floating in them. When we entered the empty classroom, Harry, Ron and I sat at the very back so that when class ended we would be the first to leave.

A door suddenly banged open. Professor Snape swept into the classroom from his office, his black cloak flapping behind him. The way he moved reminded me somewhat of a bat. He had a strange pallor about him, his skin pale in comparison to his black robes. Everything about him looked unpleasant especially his greasy black hair and hooked nose. His black eyes scanned the room when he turned to face us. They seemed to linger on where Harry and I were sat at the back. He went down the register, looking at us in turn. Being the first name on the list, I was the first for his scrutiny. He spoke with a slow tone, almost spitting my surname. His eyes narrowed on me as if I reminded him of someone before moving on. It was like he'd taken an instant dislike to me and I hadn't even done anything. If I thought I had it bad, however, Harry had it worse. Like every other teacher, he paused when he got to Harry's name.

'Ah, yes,' he said softly, 'Harry Potter. Our new – _celebrity_.'

At the front of the class Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle were snickering to themselves. Snape finished the register then turned to the class.

'You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making,' he said, his voice slow and deliberate. It sent shivers down my spine. 'As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses … I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.'

Harry, Ron and I looked at each other. Ron raised his eyesbrows and nodded towards Snape in a "What on earth?" kind of way.

'Potter!' Snape said suddenly. The three of us looked back to the front of the classroom again. Snape was glaring at Harry. 'What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?'

Harry glanced at Ron and me. We both shrugged. Beside us, Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

'I don't know, sir,' said Harry.

If it was possible, Snape's look of loathing seemed to increase as did his smile, his lip curling upwards.

'Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything.' He ignored Hermione and persisted. 'Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?'

Hermione stretched her hand up higher. Again Snape ignored her as he waited for Harry to answer.

'I don't know, sir.'

'Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?' said Snape, a hint of smugness in his voice at Harry being unable to answer his questions. 'What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?'

This one I actually knew. They were the exact same thing. It was a small flower with toxic purple leaves but the roots were used in potions that were meant to ease pain and heart troubles. It was a common ingredient in potions used to help those who suffered lycanthropy, like Lupin did. He had a small supply of the flowers in the potion box at home. I didn't put my hand up though; Hermione, who was now practically out of her seat, was still being ignored by Snape so what was the point in putting my hand up when he'd probably just ignore me too.

'I don't know,' said Harry. His voice was oddly quiet. 'I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?'

A stifled laugh went round the room. Snape's cold eyes narrowed. I think Harry had done it now.

'Sit down, you silly girl,' Snape snapped at Hermione as he swept round the tables to where Harry, Ron and I sat. He placed his fingers on the table in front of Harry, leaning forwards over his cauldron. 'For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite.' He paused. None of us moved. 'Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?'

I grabbed my quill as did the rest of the class and we quickly wrote down what Snape had just said. Snape returned to his desk, not before adding that Harry had just lost a House point. Harry, Ron and I looked at each other again. We were not going to enjoy Potions one bit. Things didn't improve as the lesson continued either as we attempted to make a potion that cured boils. Even being paired with Hermione didn't stop our potion from being criticised; only Malfoy, who Snape seemed to have taken a liking to, and his potion seemed worthy of his praise.

Acid green smoke and a loud hissing began to fill the classroom. On the table in front of us I could see Neville sweating profusely over his potion having somehow managed to melt the bottom of Seamus's cauldron. I sat silently watching as Snape belittled Neville for his mistake as his potion began leaking over the floor. I pulled my legs up so it didn't touch me. Neville had been drenched in it and boils were sprouting all over his body. Snape ordered Seamus to take him to the Hospital Wing before rounding on Harry and Ron next to me.

'You – Potter –' he barked, 'why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor.'

Harry opened his mouth to argue but Ron kicked him under the table.

'Don't push it,' he muttered. 'I've heard Snape can turn very nasty.'

If that was Snape being nice I didn't care to see what Snape was like when he was nasty.

That morning at breakfast, Harry had received an invitation from Hagrid to visit him after class as we had Friday afternoons off. After the dismal Potions class, Ron and I asked to join him and so the three of us walked out the rear of the castle that led down to the grounds. His Hut was located at the bottom of a hill below the Stone Circle, just on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When we knocked on the door a loud barking came from inside. After a moment's scuffle, Hagrid opened the door, his hand clasped round a large boarhound's collar. He was much bigger close up than when I'd seen him before the Sorting. Then again, I was only eleven. His Hut was a cosy little place split into two circular adjoining rooms. The far room had an enormous bed and dog basket while the one we stood in had a large table and chairs set before a roaring fireplace, a copper kettle gentling boiling over it.

'Make yerselves at home,' Hagrid told us. He let go of Fang's collar who headed straight for Ron and started licking him. We took a seat at Hagrid's table while he bustled about pouring the boiling water into a teapot. Harry introduced Ron and me to Hagrid as he placed a plateful of rock cakes on the table. 'Another Weasley, eh?' said Hagrid, looking at Ron. 'I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest. As fer a Black, I haven't seen a Black set foot in this school since yer father was here.'

We sat chatting to Hagrid for almost an hour. We told him about our first week of classes and how we'd been in trouble with Filch already when we got lost around the castle. Hagrid seemed to share our dislike of him and his cat, Mrs Norris. Even Fang growled at the mention of her. When we told him about what happened with Snape, Hagrid merely dismissed it and changed the subject to ask about Ron's brother Charlie who worked with dragons. Beside me Harry had become fascinated by a newspaper cutting that had been lying on Hagrid's table. He nudged me and showed me the article. It was about the break-in at Gringotts.

'Hagrid!' said Harry. 'That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!'

Again Hagrid dismissed Harry's concerns, thrusting the rock cakes towards him.

'What's the big deal?' I asked Harry quietly while Hagrid resumed talking to Ron. 'Nothing was stolen so what's the problem?'

'Hagrid and I went to Gringotts that day,' Harry whispered to me, 'and we went down to a vault that Hagrid then emptied. What if that was the same vault that the thief tried to break into? What if whatever Hagrid took from that vault was whatever the thief was after?'

I frowned.

'Harry, I think you're reading too much into this,' I told him. 'There are any number of vaults in that bank. Just because you and Hagrid emptied a vault doesn't mean it was the same empty vault that the thief tried to get into. It's probably just a coincidence.'

'I don't know,' said Harry. He didn't seem convinced.

'Harry, leave it,' I urged him. 'It's nothing to do with us anyway. We probably won't even hear anything more about it.' I looked at my watch. 'Besides, we better head back up to the castle. Dinner's in half an hour and we've got loads of homework to do.'

Though unconvinced Harry dropped the subject. We left Hagrid's at quarter to seven with our pockets full of the uneaten rock cakes Hagrid forced upon us. We emptied them out on to the table when we sat down. I was still brushing out the crumbs the following couple of days.

The second week of term started, which meant the we'd finally begin Flying lessons. It was a compulsory subject for all the first-years. I had been looking forward to these. I'd never been on a broomstick before. I couldn't wait to find out what it was like. Unfortunately for the Gryffindors though we were sharing the lessons with the Slytherins. If Potions lessons were anything to go by, it meant that Draco Malfoy would be sneering and laughing at us whenever we did something wrong.

Malfoy was certainly an unpleasant boy to be around. If he wasn't boasting to his friends about all the things his father did, he was boasting about his apparent talent on a broom. Several times during the week, Harry, Ron and I overheard him talking about how it was unfair that first-years weren't allowed brooms or that they didn't ever get on the Quidditch teams. When he got to the part about narrowly missing a Muggle helicopter though I began to doubt the truth in his stories. It wasn't just Malfoy though who bragged about their skills on a broomstick; it appears any student who grew up knowing about magic had been on a broom prior to starting here. Ron had loads of stories about using his brother Charlie's broom and almost crashing with a hang-glider. Not all wizards had been on brooms before Hogwarts though. Like Harry and myself, Neville had never been on a broom before. He seemed to pale just at the thought of it.

At breakfast Thursday morning, the Gryffindor first-years were a mixture of nerves and excitement. Even Hermione, little Miss Know-It-All, seemed worried at the prospect of getting on a broomstick. For as much as she liked to learn things from books, there were some things like flying you weren't going to be able to be good at simply by reading all the theory without getting on a broom itself. It didn't stop her though. She sat opposite Harry, Ron and me at the Gryffindor table with Neville, telling him all she knew about the principles of flying from a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_. They only stopped when the mail arrived.

Since receiving my Hogwarts letter, I learnt that Owl Post delivered all the mail in the wizarding world. At quarter to nine every morning the Great Hall would be flooded by owls flying in through the windows with letters in their beaks and parcels in their claws for their owners. They would swoop low and drop their deliveries to the correct students before flying off again back out the windows. So far I hadn't received or sent any letters using Gizmo apart from the one I sent to Lupin to tell him I was in Gryffindor, and so he spent most of his time in the Owlery. Now and then he would appear at breakfast to keep me company and I'd feed him some Owl Treats that I kept in my bag. Just up from me a barn owl had dropped a small square package in front of Neville. He opened it to reveal a small glass orb that appeared to be full of smoke.

'It's a Remembrall!' he told us. 'Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red – oh …' Neville's smile vanished when the smoke inside it turned red, '… you've forgotten something …'

A hand appeared from nowhere and snatched the Remembrall from Neville's hand. We all looked up to see Malfoy's sneering face looking at us, tossing Neville's Remembrall up and down in his hand. His friends, Crabbe and Goyle, were with him as usual. Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. Before they could even get a word out, however, Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble faster than I could wave a wand, was already standing over us.

'What's going on?' she asked, her tone sharp.

'Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor,' said Neville.

Malfoy scowled. He dropped the Remembrall back on to the table in front of Neville.

'Just looking,' he shrugged, and they sloped away.

That afternoon, the Gryffindors headed out of the castle to the Training Grounds that were located behind the Herbology greenhouses. It was a large flat grassy area surrounded by high stone walls on its very edge at the foot of the hill leading up to the Owlery. As we walked across the grass we could see a woman dressed in black robes commanding a series of brooms to float out of a door to what I assumed was a storeroom for the Quidditch supplies. The Slytherins were already there. She saw us approaching. Madam Hooch, a witch with short spiky grey hair and odd yellow eyes, assembled us in front of her where twenty or so brooms now lay on the grass before us.

Like Professor McGonagall, Madam Hooch was a strict teacher with brusque instructions. She had each of us stand by a broom and summon it to our hands, which we held above them. With the simple command of 'Up!' we gave it a try. Harry's broom shot straight up into his hand; next to him, Ron's flew upwards and smacked him in the face; my own seemed to lift slightly at the tip then flopped back down again. This wasn't going to be easy. When we all had managed to get our brooms in our hands without bending down to pick them up, Madam Hooch showed us the correct way to hold it. I felt a wave of delight when I watched her correct Malfoy's grip, something he'd apparently had wrong for years. Our grips sorted Madam Hooch then instructed us to kick off the ground and attempt to hover.

In all his nerves Neville pushed off before Madam Hooch had even blown her whistle. His broom seemed quite temperamental too. It shot upwards into the air – higher and higher – until Neville realised what had happened, paled, and swung off the broom. He landed with a hard thump on the ground. A nasty crack and a loud cry later, Neville was lying face down on the grass while his broom was now floating off towards the Forbidden Forest. Madam Hooch ran over to Neville. A quick examination told her he'd broken his wrist.

'None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing!' snapped Madam Hooch. She got Neville to his feet and started leading him away from where we were gathered. 'You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say, "Quidditch".'

Madam Hooch walked off with a whimpering Neville.

'Did you see his face, the great lump?'

I looked round. So did the rest of the Gryffindors. The Slytherins were all laughing.

'Shut up, Malfoy,' said Parvati Patil.

'Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?' said Pansy Parkinson, a sour-faced Slytherin girl. 'Never thought _you'd_ like fat little cry babies, Parvati.'

The impending argument between the two girls was stopped before it even started when Malfoy found Neville's Remembrall lying in the grass. He snatched it up, a smirk on his face.

'It's that stupid thing Longbotton's gran sent him.'

'Give that here, Malfoy,' said Harry.

Everyone stopped and watched. Harry had stepped away from the Gryffindors so that he was square with Malfoy. Both were eyeing each other with great dislike.

'I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect – how about – up a tree?'

'Give it _here_!' demanded Harry.

But Malfoy was already on his broom and flying upwards. Well, it appeared he hadn't lied about actually being able to fly. He flew over to a tree that was planted in the grounds, hovering above its top branches.

'Come and get it, Potter!'

Harry didn't need any encouragement. He grabbed his broom without a second thought, even with Hermione telling him not to. He ignored her, climbed on to the broom, and shot off into the air. I watched as he flew over to where Malfoy was floating. Harry actually seemed quite good on a broom. The other girls all gasped when he took his broom even higher. Ron beside me let out a whoop. When he was level with Malfoy, Harry turned his broom sharply to face him. They were too far away for us to hear what they were saying but something made Harry shoot forwards on his broom, Malfoy narrowly dodging him. Next moment Malfoy had thrown the Remembrall high in the air and was flying back to where the Slytherins were gathered. In seconds Harry was chasing it. Closer and closer to the ground he got, his hand outstretched as he reached for it. Next moment Harry was pulling out of the dive having narrowly missed the ground. In his hand was the Remembrall.

Cheers started from the Gryffindors as he came flying back over to us but his celebration was short lived when a sharp voice shouted, 'HARRY POTTER!'

Professor McGonagall was running over to us, her face white with shock. She ordered Harry to follow her despite the protests of Parvati and Ron and took Harry away. She dismissed the rest of us to return to the castle. Class was over. Ron and I shared a look of concern then followed the rest of the Gryffindors back into the castle to wait for Harry to return.

Harry didn't come back until dinner. He came running into the Great Hall with a massive grin on his face and came over to join where Ron and I were sat eating our sausages and mash and pie. Before we could even ask what happened, Harry was already telling us how Professor McGonagall hadn't expelled him. Instead, she had taken him to meet a fifth-year Gryffindor called Oliver Wood who was the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He'd spent the last couple of hours with Wood back out in the Training Grounds learning about how to play Quidditch and being shown the different balls used in the game. Harry was going to be the new Gryffindor Seeker. Ron was amazed, saying he was the youngest House player for the last century. He was to start training next week with the rest of the Quidditch team but we had to keep it quiet. Fred and George showed up a few minutes later to congratulate Harry before heading off to find their friend, Lee Jordan. They were soon replaced by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Just the people we wanted to see.

'Having a last meal, Potter?' he asked. 'When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?'

'You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you,' said Harry coolly. I wouldn't have said there was anything little about Crabbe and Goyle.

'I'd take you on any time on my own,' said Malfoy. 'Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?'

'Of course he has,' said Ron. 'I'm his second, who's yours?'

Malfoy eyed up Crabbe and Goyle, 'Crabbe. Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the Trophy Room, that's always unlocked.'

They left.

'Ron,' I said as soon as he was gone, 'what were you thinking? Harry's never heard of a wizard duel! Malfoy will easily be able to get the upper hand over him.'

'And what, let Malfoy think Harry doesn't know anything so he mocks him even more?' said Ron. 'That's the last thing he needs.'

'The last thing he needs, Ron, is to be in a duel he doesn't even know how to fight in,' I said.

'What is a wizard duel anyway?' said Harry. 'And what do you mean, you're my second?'

'Well, a second's there to take over if you die,' said Ron casually. If he what? Harry and I looked at him confused and a little bit shocked. 'But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards.'

'We are _real_ wizards,' I said, pointing out the obvious. ' _Eleven_ year old wizards in case you'd forgotten.'

'I know that,' said Ron indignantly. 'Look, the most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway.'

'I wouldn't count on that,' I said. 'You've heard how much Malfoy brags about what he knows and stuff. He said he was good on a broom and that turned out to be true. He could know more than you think.'

'He's all wand and no spell,' said Ron confidently.

'And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?' asked Harry.

'Throw it away and punch him on the nose,' suggested Ron.

'Wow, helpful,' I muttered.

'Excuse me,' said a voice behind us. We looked up.

'Can't a person eat in peace in this place?' groaned Ron.

'I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying –' started Hermione.

'Bet you could,' muttered Ron.

'– and you _mustn't_ go wandering around the school at night,' she continued, 'think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really selfish of you.'

'And it's really none of your business,' said Harry.

'Goodbye,' said Ron.

Hermione gave me a pointed look then walked off. What did she expect me to do about it?

Why Harry and Ron thought they could sneak out of the Gryffindor Tower late at night without someone finding out, I don't know. Why I agreed to go with them too, I didn't know either. At half past eleven I met them down in the common room only to find the three of us weren't alone. Hermione had been hidden in a chair in the corner. She tried to stop us again but Harry and Ron didn't listen and left the Tower, Hermione and I following after them. She continued to berate them about how we didn't care about Gryffindor one bit and they'd the lose points she'd earned from doing a Switching Spell in Transfiguration. Harry and Ron brushed her off, telling her to go away. Annoyed, she did so, only to find the Fat Lady had left her portrait. She was stuck.

With no other option, Hermione followed us. She and Ron were at each other all the way down the corridor when we ran into Neville who had been curled up on the floor asleep. He'd forgotten the password to the common room. We tried to get rid of him but Neville insisted on coming with us as well, so the five of us proceeded down to the third floor. The castle was empty and eerily silent compared to how it was during the day. We turned into the corridor that led the opposite way from the one where the Charms classroom was located. We opened the door to find the Trophy Room was empty. We walked inside peering around for any sign of Malfoy and his thug friends. The room was silent. Malfoy wasn't there.

'He's late,' said Ron, checking his watch. 'Maybe he's chickened out.'

'I don't think he's chickened out, Ron,' I said slowly. A second later, we all jumped when we heard a voice coming from behind the door we'd just entered through.

'Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner.'

'We've been set up,' I finished.

Quickly we ran in the opposite direction from where Filch's voice was coming from. We slid through the door at the other end of the Trophy Room and into a corridor full of suits of armour. Harry indicated for us to follow him as there was another door we could escape through. Filch was getting nearer. We could hear him searching the Trophy Room with Mrs Norris. It made Neville jump in fear and he knocked into a Ron who in turn fell into one of the suits of armour along the wall. There was a loud crash and bang. At that moment I knew we were done for.

'RUN!' yelled Harry.

We didn't need telling twice. The five of us bolted without any idea where we were or where we were running to. Harry pointed to a tapestry at the far end of a wall and we rushed through it. On the other side we saw we'd ended up near to our Charms classroom that was far away from the Trophy Room and one corridor away from the Grand Staircase. We appeared to have managed to give Filch the slip. Although we were out of breath, Hermione still managed to berate us about the whole thing being a set up. Malfoy must have planned it and told Filch, knowing we'd get caught. Harry ignored this and told us we needed to get back to the Tower. Before we'd taken one step, however, Peeves came floating out of the door to our Charms classroom. He cackled gleefully when he saw us. We begged him not to tell but Peeves wasn't one to stay away from causing trouble. It was only when Ron took a swipe at him that Peeves gave us away.

'STUDENTS OUT OF BED!' he bellowed. 'STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!'

We ducked under Peeves and ran for it. Following Harry he led us down a corridor that came to a dead end with a locked door. Behind us we could hear Filch's hobbling footsteps running towards us.

'This is it!' moaned Ron. 'We're done for! This is the end!'

'Oh, move over,' snapped Hermione. Taking Harry's wand from him, Hermione tapped the lock and said, ' _Alohomora!_ '

The lock clicked and the door opened. We rushed inside and slammed it shut behind us. Harry, Ron and I pressed our heads to the door to listen to what was happening the other side. Filch was asking Peeves where the students had gone but Peeves wasn't cooperating. In spite of him just giving us away, I was thankful Peeves was then refusing to tell Filch where we'd gone. We listened as he went off muttering back down the corridor and Peeves zoomed off cackling through a wall. With him gone, I turned round to see where we were. I froze.

'He thinks this door is locked,' whispered Harry. 'I think we'll be OK – get _off_ , Neville!' He'd been gripping at Harry's arm, whimpering.

'And for good reason,' I said numbly.

A pair of yellow eyes blinked as it glared at us. Not one pair, in fact, but three, all of which belonged to one of the three heads of a monstrous dog. Each of its three mouths had its teeth bared as it growled at us, its long yellow fangs dripping with saliva. Right now I was wishing we'd been caught by Filch; at least we were more likely to survive that encounter. It was only because it hadn't expected us that it hadn't attacked us up till now. The six eyes blinked again and it took a stop towards us. I felt a hand grab my pyjamas and I was pulled backwards. Harry had pulled me back through the door as the dog lunged for us. The five of us got out of the room just in time and Harry slammed the door shut and locked it behind him. We ran for it and didn't stop until we were back at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Ignoring her reprimand for being out of bed, Harry shouted the password at her and she let us in. We ran through the entrance and collapsed in the common room. Neville ran straight upstairs to the boys' dormitory.

It was a few moments before any of us spoke. We were all fighting to catch our breath, each of us in a heap in one of the chairs in the corner.

'What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?' panted Ron once he had enough breath back in his lungs. 'If any dog needs exercise, that one does.'

'That dog,' I breathed, ignoring the stitch in my side, 'wasn't a dog, Ron.' It wasn't. If I was correct, that dog had been a Cereberus. It was a creature from what I thought was mythology, but of course, this was the wizarding world so why shouldn't it be real. They were supposed to guard the underworld so what one was doing in the Hogwarts castle was anyone's guess. 'That was a monster!'

'You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?' snapped Hermione. We looked at her. 'Didn't you see what it was standing on?'

'The floor?' said Harry sarcastically. 'I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads.'

'Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three of them,' added Ron.

'No, _not_ the floor,' said Hermione. 'It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something.'

'Guarding something?' I repeated. 'What could the school have that would need a beast like that to guard it?'

Hermione stood up, her hair wilder than ever and her eyes narrowed.

'I hope you're pleased with yourselves,' she said. 'We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.' and with that she turned on her heel and disappeared up the girls' staircase.

'No, we don't mind,' said Ron. 'You'd think we'd dragged her along, wouldn't you?'

'I think she's right though,' I said. I pushed myself up to a sitting position. 'It's almost one a.m. and we have class tomorrow. Snape won't take too kindly if we all fall asleep during our Double Potions lesson with him. We'd better get to bed.'

Harry and Ron agreed and we separated to go to our dormitories.

Hermione was still fuming the next morning when we got up. When Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne all left the dormitory to go down to breakfast, she turned to me.

'I don't understand how you could be friends with those two,' she said to me tersely. I stopped plaiting my hair and looked over my shoulder at her. 'They're such a pair of horrible boys. All they've done is lose points for the last week.'

'They're my friends,' I replied, slightly annoyed. 'I knew Harry before I even started here.'

'Well I still think they're a pair of troublemakers,' said Hermione, 'and if you're not careful, you'll see yourself getting into a lot of trouble with them and you'll lose Gryffindor House points _and_ probably get detention too.'

Hermione left the dormitory. I sighed and followed shortly after to get some breakfast.

I found Harry and Ron down at the Gryffindor table when I got there. Just up from them I could see Hermione sending them a disapproving look while Neville, who was between her and Seamus, still looked pale from the previous night. When I sat down, Harry and Ron pointed over to the Slytherin table where Malfoy was sat. I sat up enough so I could see him. A livid look was on his pale face at the sight of the three of us.

'I guess his plan of getting us expelled backfired,' I said. I turned round in my seat. 'Still, I don't want a repeat of last night. I never want to go near that dog again. I can see why Professor Dumbledore said that corridor was off limits.'

'If it wasn't for Malfoy, we never would have found that dog,' said Harry. 'And I don't somehow think it's the dog that makes the corridor out of bounds.'

'What makes you say that?' I asked.

'Remember about the break-in at Gringotts?' said Harry. He lowered his voice so only Ron and I could hear him. 'What if whatever it was that was in that vault was brought here? Why else would Hagrid pick something up for Dumbledore but not say what it was if it wasn't something that needed protection.'

'What could be so important that Dumbledore would need to bring it here?' asked Ron.

'I don't know,' said Harry, 'but whatever it was, it was kept in a high security vault at Gringotts and someone tried to steal it too. It would explain why the dog was here, if that's what it's guarding. Why else would it be?'

'It's either really valuable or really dangerous,' said Ron.

'Or both,' said Harry.

I frowned. Harry was still fixated on whatever had been stolen from Gringotts and was now thinking it was being kept here. I didn't think I'd ever say this but in this situation I actually felt myself side with Hermione about this. The less we had to do with the dog, the better; whatever was beneath that trapdoor had to be no good and so it was best to stay out of it. On the plus side, aside from this morning, the events of the previous night had made Hermione stop speaking to us, not that Harry or Ron minded. Having finished the conversation about the mysterious object they had moved on to thinking how to get back at Malfoy.

Above us the owls had arrived with that morning's post. Around us a loud whispering started. Harry, Ron and I looked up. Everyone was staring at a group of six screech owls that were carrying a long thin package. My eyes followed as it crossed the Hall, flying right over to where the three of us were sitting. They dropped it in front of Harry and flew off again. A note then dropped on top of it left by yet another owl. Harry, Ron and I looked at each other. Harry shrugged and ripped open the note.

'It's from Professor McGonagall,' he told us. 'It says not to open it here because it's my broomstick for Quidditch. It says it's a –' Harry gaped. 'Nimbus Two Thousand!'

'A Nimbus Two Thousand!' repeated Ron. His eyes widened. 'I've never even _touched_ one.'

'A lot of people are trying to see what you've got, Harry,' I said. I nodded my head at the people on the table behind me; some Ravenclaw students were straining to see what it was. 'Let's go back to the common room and you can open it there.'

Quickly the three of us left the Hall with Harry's broomstick. We were barely across the Entrance Hall when Harry felt something grab the handle of it. Malfoy, with Crabbe and Goyle predictably beside him, had followed us and snatched the package from Harry's hand. He stared at it with a look of both spite and jealousy.

'That's a broomstick,' he said. He threw it back at Harry. 'You'll be for it this time, Potter, first-years aren't allowed them.'

'It's not any old broomstick,' said Ron, 'it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?' Ron grinned at Harry. 'Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus.'

'What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle,' said Malfoy. 'I suppose you and your brothers have to save up, twig by twig.'

'Not arguing, I hope, boys,' squeaked a voice. Professor Flitwick was scuttling towards us.

'Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor,' said Malfoy.

'Yes, yes, that's right,' said Professor Flitwick. He beamed at Harry. That wasn't the reaction Malfoy had hoped for. 'Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?'

'A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir,' said Harry. He appeared to be trying not to laugh. 'And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it.'

'Very good, very good,' squeaked Professor Flitwick. A bell rang then, signalling class would be starting soon. 'You best get it up to your dormitory so that it doesn't get damaged. Mind, don't be late for class because you're admiring it too much.'

'No, sir,' said the three of us.

We walked up the Marble Staircase, snickering at the look on Malfoy's face when Harry had thanked him for his part in Harry getting a broomstick and a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

'Well, it's true,' Harry said. 'If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team …'

'So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?' said an angry voice behind us. Hermione had caught up to us. She was looking at the broom with as much disgust as Malfoy had.

'I thought you weren't speaking to us?' said Harry.

'Yes, don't stop now,' said Ron. 'It's doing us so much good.'

Hermione gave me another significant look like the previous night and walked off with her nose in the air. I frowned. It wasn't up to me to control Ron and Harry's behaviour.

'Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on her?' I asked Harry and Ron. We climbed the staircases to go back up to the Tower to drop off the broom. 'I mean, she doesn't want us to get in trouble, that's all.'

'When she's the one getting us _into_ trouble?' said Ron. He stared at me as if I'd gone mad. 'She was the one who opened that door, not us. And she's meant to be the intelligent one in our year.'

'None of us knew where we were, Ron,' I reasoned. 'We weren't to know that door was the corridor that led to that thing. Besides, Hermione only came with us because she got shut out the Tower. If Filch had caught us, he might have believed her if she'd told him we'd been tricked.'

'Doubt it,' snorted Ron. 'Filch never believes students, even goody-two-wands like her.'

'Ron's right, Jenna,' agreed Harry. 'Even if Filch had caught us, he wouldn't have believed her and all she would have done is gloat that she was right. She's just a bossy know-it-all who loves to show off and be right about everything.'

'Still,' I muttered but I could see the boys weren't going to be swayed.

Things didn't improve between the four of us in the coming weeks. With school in full swing now and Harry also going to Quidditch training three times a week, we had little time to even be concerned about it. With every class we got more and more homework, which in turn meant we spent more and more time during the evenings in the corner of the common room attempting to write our essays. Hermione was rarely ever seen in between classes and when she was, she always seemed to be on her own; Parvati and Lavender were always too busy gossiping to each other in a way that Hermione would probably disapprove of, while the other girl, Sally-Anne, tended to spend more of her time with a friend of hers from Ravenclaw. It was only when I saw her walking down the second floor corridor that I found out where she kept hiding.

I had followed her over the Transfiguration Courtyard one day after lunch and up a small staircase that led to the second floor. She was heading to the library. Intrigued, I continued to follow her. She pushed open the door and went inside. I walked quickly to catch up with her and opened the door. I peered round it to see where she had gone. The library was a long rectangular room with bookcases reaching all the way up to the ceiling. To the left of the entrance was a high desk, the librarian sat behind it. I saw Madam Pince eye me over her glasses. I quickly walked in properly and headed to a bookcase to make it look like I was after a book, not following someone. I walked in between the shelves of books, looking for Hermione. Around me, books were floating on and off the shelves, flapping over to tables and sliding back in their correct locations. I found Hermione near the back of the library. She was sat on her own on a table in the corner. She didn't notice me; instead her head was buried in a large thick tome. She actually looked kind of lonely. Her eyes seemed to scan the pages but not take in anything that was written on the parchment. I actually felt sorry for her. When she looked up, I ducked behind the bookcase I was next to so she didn't see me. I couldn't imagine Hermione taking well to me following her. With one last glance at her, I left the library. I didn't know what to do and I was pretty sure even if I told Harry and Ron, they wouldn't care enough to do anything about it either.

However lonely Hermione must feel, she certainly hid it well in class. Still she would thrust her hand in the air whenever she knew the answer to the question the teacher asked, beaming whenever she received House points for a correct answer. I would watch her do this with an odd amount of curiosity. If she was so lonely, why was she trying so hard to impress everyone? Sure it worked with the teachers but all it did to the rest of us was think she was a smarty-witch. She really wasn't doing herself any favours being a teacher's pet. A part of me wanted to point this out to her but I thought better of it, hoping she might learn herself she was going about making friends with people the wrong way.

Hallowe'en arrived. I wasn't surprised when I saw how much of a fuss the school seemed to make over the holiday, considering what its reputation in the Muggle world was. The entire castle was decorated with live bats and real cobwebs while there was a constant smell of pumpkin pie coming from wherever the kitchens were located in the castle. Even the suits of armour were enchanted to make the students jump when they were least expecting it. I had the feeling that it wasn't an enchantment but was Peeves taking advantage of the season to scare the students more than he normally did. There was a buzz around the castle that I hadn't seen since the Start-of-Term feast on the first day here. All the students seemed excited and there was to be a feast that evening for dinner so concentration was quite thin on the ground during classes, especially with the first-years.

'Yes, yes, we are all looking forward to the feast tonight,' said Professor Flitwick cheerfully when he tried to get our attention in Charms that day. 'But first we must do some work and I'm sure you'll all like what I've got for you today.'

With a flick of his wrist, Professor Flitwick waved his wand at a book beside him. It floated into the air beside him. It remained there for a moment or two as the class "ooh-ed" in appreciation. Professor Flitwick flicked his wand upwards and the book fell back on top of its pile with a thump. Telling us we were going to try the Levitation Charm, Professor Flitwick separated us into pairs and gave us each a feather to enchant. Sitting next to Neville, Professor Flitwick paired us together while Harry was put with Seamus and Ron was told to go with Hermione. Having not said anything to each other since the day Harry got his broom, it was hard to tell who was angrier about having to work together.

'Now don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing,' squeaked Professor Flitwick. He was perched on top of his books once again after giving us our feathers. 'Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too – never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest. Now, off you go.'

I looked at my feather. Picking up my wand, I gave it a little poke. Feathers were really light. Wouldn't it be more of a challenge for us to try and make a book float or something? I soon found myself to be wrong. Even with the wrist movement Professor Flitwick had been getting us to practice for the past few weeks both in class and as homework, my feather didn't lift one millimetre off the desk. No one seemed to be making any progress. Neville was stuttering the words due to his nerves so his spell was incoherent; Harry was staring at his feather as if he was trying to will it to float; Seamus was waving his wand aimlessly until a small explosion occurred and his feather burst into flames, smoke blowing up in his face; and Ron was impatiently jabbing his wand to no effect.

' _Wingardium Leviosa!_ ' he shouted again and again.

'You're saying it wrong,' Hermione snapped at Ron after several minutes of this. They were sitting on the table in front of me. 'It's Wing- _gar_ -dium Levi- _o_ -sa, make the 'gar' nice and long.'

'You do it then, if you're so clever,' snarled Ron.

Hermione looked at her feather. She took a breath, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, and pointed her wand at it. With a smooth flick, she said, ' _Wingardium Leviosa!_ ' and her feather began to lift off the desk.

'Oh, well done!' cried Professor Flitwick. He clapped his hands enthusiastically at Hermione's achievement. 'Everyone, see here, Miss Granger's done it!'

Needless to say Ron's temper hadn't improved by the end of the lesson.

'It's no wonder no one can stand her,' he said to Harry and me as we left the classroom. We joined the students heading down the corridor to go outside for break. 'She's a nightmare, honestly!'

Just then, Hermione pushed roughly between Harry and Ron. She strode off quickly in front of us but not before I saw tears were forming in her eyes. Harry, Ron and I stopped. I felt an awkward feeling start in the bottom of my stomach.

'I think she heard you,' said Harry.

'So?' said Ron, though he looked a bit uncomfortable about the situation. 'She must've noticed she's got no friends.' I frowned.

'I'll see you later,' I said to them before running after Hermione.

I looked round at the end of the corridor to see where Hermione had gone. She had gone down the small spiral staircase that led to the Transfiguration Courtyard. I hurried after her. Hermione didn't stop when she reached the courtyard like I thought she would. She kept going, crossing the courtyard then walking down the footpath that led towards the Stone Bridge. I wasn't sure where she was going but I wasn't going to let her be upset because of the boys. She pushed through the door back into the castle, me chasing after her. I walked down the first floor corridor that was covered from ceiling to floor in tapestries and round the corner into the next where I saw Hermione go into a bathroom. I stopped at the door, waiting a moment before I entered. After a minute I pushed open the door and walked inside. It wasn't too hard to know which cubicle she was in as it was the only one with its door closed, and the only one where I could hear her crying behind it. Cautiously, in case she wanted to be alone, I walked up to the locked door and gently knocked on it.

'Hermione?' I said. 'Are you all right?'

'Go away,' I heard her cry. 'Go back to your big-headed friends.'

'Hermione, I'm really sorry about what Ron said. He just doesn't think sometimes … well, he doesn't seem to think at all.' I couldn't really comment considering I'd only known him for two months. 'But all boys are jerks this age. You just have to ignore them.'

'How would you know?' she asked me fiercely.

'Because I lived with enough of them for the past ten years,' I muttered. I leant back against the door waiting to hear if Hermione would reply.

There was a few moments silence, then –

'I thought you said you were from a wizarding family?'

I sighed. It just had to be this way to get her to talk, didn't it?

'I am,' I said to her, 'but I was an orphan before I started Hogwarts. I come from a wizarding family but I accidentally got abandoned shortly after I was born. I know about as much as a Flobberworm does about the wizarding world and magic when really, because of my family, I should know a lot more. I can't even do half the spells we've been set so far. You saw me in Charms, I didn't make my feather lift off my desk at all. But while I don't know a lot about magic, I certainly do know something about boys and that they are immature jerks at this age.'

I stood straight when I heard the lock of the cubicle click open. Turning round, the door opened. A tearful Hermione stood inside, her eyes red and her hair messy around her face. She looked at me with a disheartened expression on her face.

'Still,' she sniffed, wiping her eyes. 'You're a real witch, from the wizarding world. I'm just a Muggle-born. There's nothing magical about my family at all.'

'Being from a wizarding family doesn't mean anything,' I said. 'Surely you've seen that by now. Neville and Ron are both from those pure-blood families and you've beaten both of them in all our classes. You've managed almost all the spells we've been set. So what if you don't have magical parents? Your abilities aren't determined by who you're related to.'

'I guess.'

Hermione closed the door of the cubicle again and took a seat on the floor. I joined her. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Something seemed to be on Hermione's mind but she didn't seem to know how to say it. I watched as she stared at her hands in her lap.

'Can I ask you something?' she finally said.

'Sure,' I said. 'What do you want to know?'

'It's not what I want to know,' Hermione replied. 'I read every textbook we got set before we came here. I thought by reading everything I could, it would help me fit in. But it didn't. All it did was make people tease me, just like at primary school. If knowing things about the world I'm apparently a part of and being able to do the spells is wrong, then I don't know what to do. Nobody here likes me. They all just think I'm a know-it-all.'

'There's nothing wrong with knowing things,' I said. 'Before I came here I read all I could too, thinking that because I was from a wizarding family I should already know this stuff.'

'So how come you don't get teased but I do?' Hermione asked. 'How are we any different?'

'Because I don't raise my hand for every question and give twenty word answers when two words will do.' Hermione glanced at me sheepishly. I raised my eyebrow. She knew I was right. 'Hermione, there's nothing wrong with knowing an answer. It's knowing when to let others try first. You remember that question Snape asked us in our first class? About the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?'

'Yes, what about it?' she asked.

'I knew the answer,' I said. 'I knew they were exactly the same thing. I also know that the leaves are poisonous; that they grow in Scotland; and that after harvesting their roots have to be dried out until the next full moon before they can be used.'

'What's your point?' asked Hermione.

'My point,' I said slowly, 'is that I knew a lot that I could have told Snape in order to answer that question.' For someone so intelligent, Hermione was a bit slow sometimes. 'But because I knew he was asking Harry, I stayed quiet. If he'd then asked the rest of the class I might have put my hand up.'

Hermione frowned. She hunched up, looking away from me.

'You know, you're not the only whose been bullied.' I folded my arms and brought my knees up to my chest. 'At the orphanage I was bullied all the time because I was different.'

'You were?'

'Yeah, because I kept making strange things happen.'

'Like what?'

'I made some cakes taste like they had salt in them instead of sugar once.'

Hermione laughed. I smiled too.

'Anything else?'

'I broke several things,' I shrugged, 'and I set the curtains on fire once.'

Hermione gaped at me, 'You set something on fire?'

'I didn't mean to,' I said. 'This girl who lived at the orphanage with me was teasing me because of having no parents. I got really angry, so angry I felt like I was seeing red. Next thing I know she's screaming because the curtains behind me was smoking and had caught alight.'

'Wow,' breathed Hermione. 'And here I was just using my magic to steal the biscuits my parents wouldn't let me have. They're dentists so having sweets at home is a rare treat. They always kept them in the cupboard on the top shelf where I couldn't reach them, even if I stood on the kitchen counter. When I realised I could make things move if I stared at them, I used it on the biscuit tin and managed to get it down. My parents couldn't understand where all the biscuits were going.'

I smiled at Hermione's story. Hermione smiled back at me.

'Harry and Ron aren't that bad you know,' I told her. 'Harry's been bullied as much as you and I have. As for Ron, he's got five older brothers. Imagine how he feels coming here after all of them.'

'I know they probably aren't,' said Hermione quietly. 'But they're the ones teasing me the most. It's not really going to make me want to be friends with them.'

'Maybe try what I said and it might make them want to be friends with you instead,' I suggested.

Hermione and I ended up missing the rest of our lessons that day, as well as the Hallowe'en feast. We remained where we were in the bathroom sat on the floor. I knew we were going to get in trouble for missing class but I felt this was more important. Hermione needed a friend here at Hogwarts and I knew what it was like to be an outcast. By talking to her, it turned out she wasn't actually that bad. Her enthusiasm had a lot to be desired about but putting that aside, she was actually really nice. Overhead we could hear that it had started to rain outside. Rumbles of thunder echoed through the empty corridors around the castle while streaks of lighting flashed through the windows. I could also feel my stomach grumbling. I finally managed to convince her to come out at half past seven, meaning we hadn't missed all of dinner.

'I hear they make pumpkin pie for the Hallowe'en feast,' said Hermione. 'I've never had it before. I wonder what it tastes like.'

'I've never had it either,' I said. 'I've been looking forward to –'

I stopped. In front of us, blocking the door to the bathroom, were two very large grey columns. Slowly Hermione and I looked up. A pair of vacant grey eyes stared back at us, belonging to a very large and very confused looking troll. I swallowed. The troll let out a grunt. Hesitantly I moved my hand until I felt Hermione's robes in my fingers. I stepped backwards, pulling her with me.

 _Great_ , I thought, _first a three-headed dog and now a bloody troll!_

'Back away slowly,' I whispered to Hermione.

The troll grunted again. It came towards as we backed away from it. Our backs hit the side of the first cubicle, trapping us between it and the troll. The troll raised its club above its head and swung. Quickly I grabbed Hermione and pulled her round and into the cubicle with me. We screamed as the troll's club smashed against the wooden panel. The force of the blow knocked us to the floor, wood splintering on top of us. While the cubicle shattered around us, it had protected us from the full force of the troll's swing.

'Jenna! Hermione! Move!'

I pushed a piece of wood away from my face and saw two people standing in the doorway. It was Harry and Ron. Their shout had drawn the troll's attention. They were throwing pieces of broken wood at it. With the troll distracted I saw our chance to escape. I pushed Hermione forwards, who was almost frozen with fear, and over to where the sinks were. The troll looked round when it heard something moving behind it. It saw us hiding underneath the sinks. Again it raised its club. As it swung it down, I pushed Hermione forwards again so that it missed her when it smashed the sink she had previously been under while I scrambled backwards to avoid it as well. We screamed again when bits of ceramic exploded over us.

'Help!' screamed Hermione.

'Confuse it!' shouted Harry.

All the noise and screaming was confusing the troll making it angrier. It stomped around, blinking stupidly and grunting aggressively at us. It turned to where it saw Harry. It started to lumber towards him.

'Oy, pea-brain!' yelled Ron. He threw a metal pipe at the troll. It merely bounced off his shoulder but Ron's yell was enough to draw its attention from Harry. With the troll slowly moving away from where Hermione and I were still crouched under the sinks, Harry ran over to us.

'Come on, run, _run_!' he shouted at Hermione. She was still in shock and wouldn't move. I took hold of her other arm and together Harry and I got her to her feet.

The troll roared. All the chaos was driving it mad. It was swinging its club wildly around causing massive amounts of damage to the bathroom. It stomped about with little attention to what it was treading on. It was getting closer and closer to where Ron was standing by the entrance to the bathroom.

'Harry, no!' I screamed.

Harry had let go of Hermione and ran at the troll. He took a running jump and somehow managed to get his small arms around the troll's thick neck, his wand going right up its nose. He was lifted off the ground. Even though it couldn't see him, the troll could feel him. Who wouldn't feel a wand going up their nose? It roared and flailed, Harry clinging on for dear life as it did so. It swung its club dangerously close to where Harry was hanging. Beside me Hermione had sunk to the floor, me going down with her, as I could no longer support her dead weight. In front of us I saw Ron pull out his wand. What did he plan on doing? We didn't know any spells that could take on a full-grown troll.

' _Wingardium Leviosa!_ ' he cried.

With a swish and flick the troll's club suddenly flew out of its hand and floated up above its head. The troll dumbly looked upwards at it. A moment later there was a sickening crack as the club dropped right on top of its head. I watched as the troll swayed dangerously on its feet before landing flat on its face on the floor, Harry falling off its shoulders. The entire room seemed to shake as it hit the stone. I stared at it, only then realising how much I was panting in fear. Harry got to his feet visibly shaken. He and Ron came over to where we were and helped us to our feet. I looked at the two of them, unable to tell them just how thankful I was they had shown up. Hermione was the first of us to speak.

'Is it – dead?'

'I don't think so,' said Harry. 'I think it's just been knocked out.' He bent down and pulled his wand from out of the troll's nose. It was covered in a horrible green sludge. 'Urgh – troll bogies.'

From outside the bathroom we heard a collection of footsteps and voices running and shouting towards us. The four of us looked up as the bathroom door flung open. Now that I thought about it, we must have caused quite a commotion that was enough to draw someone's attention. Professor McGonagall came bursting into the bathroom, closely followed by Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell. Professor Quirrell took one look at the troll and let out a faint whimper. He sat down on a piece of broken toilet, clutching at his chest. He looked like he was hyperventilating. Snape was examining the troll while Professor McGonagall was looking at the four of us with a mixture of horror and astonishment, four eleven year old wizards standing remarkably unscathed in a completely trashed bathroom with a troll lying unconscious on the floor. Even saying it made it sound impossible. Once her initial shock had gone, she finally found her voice.

'What on earth were you thinking of?' she scolded. 'You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?'

Harry, Ron and I looked at each other. None of us had an explanation for this nor did we know even _how_ to explain it.

'Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me.'

Harry, Ron and I looked at Hermione.

'Miss Granger!'

'I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I've read all about them.'

Ron dropped his wand. Harry and I stared at her. What was she doing? She was the least responsible person there and yet she was taking the blame? Telling a blatant lie and to a teacher as well?

'Jenna tried to stop me but I didn't listen and we got trapped in here. If they hadn't found us, we'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived.'

Harry and Ron both nodded. I remained silent.

'Well – in that case ...' said Professor McGonagall, straightening her glasses. 'Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?' Hermione hung her head. 'Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses.'

Hermione left. Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, Ron and me.

'Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first-years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. You each win Gryffindor five points,' the three of us looked at each other, surprised by this turn of events, 'for sheer dumb luck,' added Professor McGonagall as an afterthought. 'Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go.'

The three of us quickly left the bathroom before Professor McGonagall had a chance to change her mind. We ran all the way to the Grand Staircase where we finally slowed our pace on our way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

'We should have got more than ten points,' grumbled Ron.

'Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's.'

'Good of her to get us out of trouble like that,' admitted Ron. 'Mind you, we _did_ save her.'

'She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her,' said Harry.

'We wouldn't have needed saving at all if you two hadn't insulted her in the first place,' I said. Harry and Ron looked at me. I raised my eyebrow at them. 'I have a point you know. And thanks for locking the troll in there with us. That's a comforting thought.'

'We didn't mean to,' said Ron.

'Either way, thanks for saving us,' I said. 'When I went after her, I didn't really expect to then also get trapped in a bathroom with her by a troll. But Professor McGonagall's right. We were lucky to survive that.'

If it weren't for that troll though, then Harry, Ron, Hermione and I would never have become such great friends. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and that was definitely one of them. It was our first adventure together since joining Hogwarts and it certainly wouldn't be the last that the four of us would encounter.

* * *

hope you like the changes i've made to this chapter


	7. Suspicions

Chapter 6

Suspicions

The day after our encounter with the troll, Harry, Ron and I were already at breakfast when Hermione arrived. She was walking down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables with her head bowed and a book clutched in her arms. Her eyes flicked up just as she was about to pass us and she stopped. She seemed to hesitate, not knowing whether to continue down the aisle to find an empty seat at the table or take the empty one between Ron and Dean Thomas. The four of us stared at each other in an awkward silence.

Harry cleared his throat.

'Do you want to join us, Hermione?' Harry asked her.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly, shocked by Harry's invitation. She looked at me as if to ask what to do. I nodded, encouraging her to sit down.

'Er, sure,' she said quietly.

Hermione put down her bag and book and took the seat next to Ron. Nervously she poured herself some juice and took a sip. I took another mouthful of my cereal before I noticed that both Harry and Ron were sitting there as awkwardly as Hermione was. I rolled my eyes.

'Hermione,' I said, 'I think Harry and Ron have something they want to say to you.' I looked pointedly at the two boys. 'Don't you?'

'Er, yeah,' said Ron. 'We just wanted to –' he started to say but then seemed to change his mind. He looked at Harry for support.

'We wanted to thank you for getting us out of trouble last night,' Harry said. 'If it wasn't for you, McGonagall would have probably given us a month's worth of detention.' Harry looked at me; I gave him a pointed look in return. 'And we're sorry for what we said,' he added. 'We didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I know if we hadn't of said those things, then you would have been at dinner and would have known about the troll. Then none of this would have even happened.'

'Yeah, sorry,' muttered Ron. I guess that was the best we were going to get from him. Hermione stared at them for a moment. A small smile then came to her face.

'It's OK,' she said. 'Thank you for saving me, and,' Hermione paused, 'I'm sorry too.'

'What for?' asked Harry.

Hermione glanced at me, 'While I was in the bathroom, Jenna and I talked and she sort of told me how I could be really annoying during class. I guess I was being a bit over-enthusiastic and acting a bit like a know-it-all. Being here was just so exciting for me. I guess I just wanted to impress those from the wizarding families with what I knew so I'd fit in, being a Muggle-born and all. I'm sorry for being so annoying the last few weeks.'

For the first time, Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a smile. In the distance the bell ran signalling class. Quickly we finished our breakfasts and, grabbing our bags, the four of us headed out of the Great Hall to go to our first lesson, Double Potions.

Life at Hogwarts was a lot different once Hermione became our friend. For one thing, she became a lot less uptight. In class she no longer put her hand up to answer every question asked (although she did still give long worded answers) and she managed to contain her enthusiasm a lot more as time went on. Outside of class, Hermione would provide us (mainly Harry and Ron) with help with our essays, finding useful passages in books for us to reference whenever she visited the library. Even the knowledge she had already was impressive as she could quote almost anything in one of core books saving a lot of time in trying to find the right bit we needed. Harry found her help invaluable, especially as he was now training for Quidditch almost every night as the first Quidditch match was merely days away.

The weather turned colder as November arrived. The once blue sky became icy grey as clouds surrounded the castle with the lake becoming a darker opaque blue in comparison. There was a chill around the castle and so I started to wear the school jumper that was part of our uniform and changed my socks for the less than comfortable tights. As much as I disliked them, they did keep out the cold. A cold breeze would whip round the windowless corridors creating horrible drafts that you sometimes had no choice but to walk through to get to your next class. In the grounds Hagrid was frequently seen either working in his pumpkin patch or over at the Quidditch pitch defrosting the school brooms before the Flying lessons, wearing a mole-skin overcoat with rabbit-fur gloves and large beaver-skin boots, all of which somehow managed to dwarf even his huge frame.

Despite the cold weather it didn't stop Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, from dragging the team out as often as possible to practice. Saturday was to be the first match and so he was pushing the team as much as he could, especially Harry. He was, he told Ron, Hermione and me, Wood's "secret weapon". Unfortunately though, the news of Harry playing Seeker for the Gryffindor team had somehow got out and so in the coming week students were frequently stopping Harry in the corridors as we went between lessons wishing him good luck or, in the case of some students, telling him they'd be running underneath him with a mattress. Harry always looked vaguely green after hearing these comments.

Hermione's knowledge surprisingly came in handy for Harry before the match. Having read _Quidditch Through the Ages_ from cover to cover, she let him borrow her copy from the library telling him some of the more helpful chapters in it so he could have a better understanding of the game. Ron also provided Harry with as many helpful tips as he could, although I think some of them were a bit less helpful than he intended them to be.

'You could always try knocking the other Seeker off his broom,' he suggested. We were out in the Clock Tower Courtyard, standing in one of the corners. We were huddled together from the freezing wind trying to keep warm with a small jar of blue flames Hermione had conjured. The first Quidditch match was tomorrow and Harry again was re-reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_ for any last minute help. 'If he can't play then you'll be more likely to find the Snitch first.'

'I think Harry's probably going to be spending most of his time trying not to fall off his own broom rather than trying to knock someone else off theirs,' I said.

'Have it as a backup then,' suggested Ron. Hermione and I shared a look of exasperation.

'Never mind that,' I then said quickly. 'Snape's coming.'

Quickly Hermione put her jar of flames behind her back, the four of us moving closer together to hide it. Knowing Snape, he'd probably try to tell us off for having them, as it would be a breech of the "no magic outside the classroom" rule. He looked at us as he walked across the courtyard. I say walked, on closer inspection, it looked like Snape was limping. His eyes narrowed when he saw the four of us watching him and he hobbled over to us.

'What's that you've got there, Potter?' he asked in his slow drawl. He was looking at the book in Harry's hands. 'Library books are not to be taken outside the school,' said Snape. 'Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor.'

Reluctantly Harry handed the book over to Snape who then limped away.

'He's just made that rule up,' muttered Harry behind his back. 'Wonder what's wrong with his leg?'

'Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him,' said Ron.

That night in the common room Harry was restless while we did our homework. Hermione had joined us in our favourite chairs in the corner by the window. He sat next to me as I did my Charms essay, aimlessly repeating some of the seven hundred fouls in Quidditch to himself and getting frustrated when he couldn't remember the correct terms. Opposite us Hermione was going through Ron's homework for him to check his answers were right and pointing out any mistakes he had made.

' _Cobbing_ is the excessive use of elbows,' Harry muttered quietly. ' _Blocking_ is deliberately putting yourself in the way of the opposition's Seeker to stop them getting the Snitch. _Haversacking_ is putting your – no making the Quaffle –'

Harry let out a frustrated noise. He stood up, drawing our attention.

'I need to get my book back,' said Harry. 'The first Quidditch match is tomorrow. He's got to let me have it back if I tell him Wood said I need to make sure I know all the rules before the match.'

'Rather you than me,' said Ron, Hermione and I all in unison.

'Don't be surprised if he takes more points from you for asking for it back,' added Ron.

'Thanks for the vote of support.'

Harry left the common room.

'Hermione, the Softening Charm is mostly used as a form of protection, isn't it?' I asked Hermione next. 'Duellists use it to cushion their falls and provide them with softer landings.'

'Generally,' said Hermione. 'But they are also used for more household related tasks as well. While Muggles have fabric softener, a wizard will use this charm instead after washing their clothes. Ron,' Hermione continued, 'the wand movement is a more of a slanted "S" shape than a "wiggly diagonal line" as you've put. And the accent is on the first syllable, not the second.'

Ron took back his essay and corrected the parts Hermione had pointed out. He showed her the re-written sentences and she gave a nod of approval.

'Is that it now?' Ron asked.

'Well Professor Flitwick wanted the essays to be at least one roll of parchment,' I said. My eyes scanned my own. 'Mine's just reaching the end of the scroll. I've written all I can think of about Softening Charms so hopefully it's enough.'

Across from me, Hermione was rolling up the two and a half scrolls she had written for her own essay. Ron let out a huff when he saw he was one inch short of a full scroll. He grabbed his quill and began scribbling something to make his essay longer. Ron handed his essay to Hermione for a third time and, with a nod of approval, he let out a sigh of relief and fell back into his chair.

'I hate writing essays,' he said. 'We don't have anymore to do, do we?'

'Not anymore due for Monday,' I replied. 'Herbology we've done and History of Magic isn't due until our Wednesday class. I think that's everything.'

'Yes, we've done all the homework that's important,' said Hermione. 'And we have still got the weekend after the Quidditch match tomorrow to do anything we've missed. We can probably stop for now.'

I smiled. At the start of term Hermione would have been freaking out if she hadn't done all her homework the night it was set. Now she was the one suggesting we took a break from homework having done the necessary ones. With Hermione's confirmation we'd done enough for tonight, Ron dove into his bag and pulled out a deck of Exploding Snap for us to play.

We were halfway through our second game, Ron's Bowtruckle cards exploding because he'd thought he'd found a pair but one had branch-like arms and the other had tiny twigs, when Harry came running into the common room. We looked up when we heard him shout our names. His face was red as if he'd just run all the way back from the dungeon and his hair was messier than usual. He fell into the chair beside me out of breath.

'Are you OK?' asked Hermione.

'Did you get it?' asked Ron too. 'What's the matter?'

'Snape,' said Harry. He took another breath. 'I saw Filch helping Snape fix up his leg in his office.'

'So?' I said. 'What's so important about that?'

'It's what he said,' whispered Harry. 'Snape was telling Filch about that three-headed dog we found in the third floor corridor and how it had bitten him. That's why he's been limping. You know what this means? He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en! That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick _he_ let that troll in, to create a diversion!'

Hermione's eyes widen. Ron's mouth dropped open.

'Harry, that's ridiculous,' I said. 'I know you don't like Snape but do you really think he'd try to get past that dog?'

'He said it himself,' said Harry firmly. 'He got bitten because he couldn't keep track of all its three heads. He _must_ have tried to get past it.'

'No – he wouldn't,' said Hermione. She shook her head, her bushy hair flying. 'I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe.'

'Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something,' snapped Ron. 'I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?'

'That's what we still need to find out,' said Harry.

The next morning there was a buzz round the school like I hadn't seen before. While the feasts that were held at Hogwarts created a stir, the excitement caused by a Quidditch match was twice as much. When I got to the Great Hall with Hermione we were greeted by a sea of colour in front of us, not to mention the delicious smell of pancakes and fried bacon. It seemed every student in the school who wasn't a first year was ready for the Quidditch match. Jumpers and banners and flags of the different House colours were everywhere. The match was to be Gryffindor versus Slytherin. At the far right of the Hall was a thin strip of silver and green, all the Slytherin students dressed in their colours to support their Quidditch team who were gathered in the middle of the table. I could just see the shock of Malfoy's white hair sitting next to a member of the Slytherin team, a burly looking sixth-year student. As for the rest of the school, it was clear whom they were supporting. While the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws wore jumpers bearing their own colours, yellow and black and blue and bronze respectively, their flags and banners were the same as the Gryffindors', red and gold.

Harry and Ron arrived a few minutes after us. The Gryffindors cheered when Harry appeared. The attention seemed to make him pale even more than he already was. He slid into the seat opposite Hermione and put some food on to his plate. He kept his eyes aimed downwards as he pushed his bacon aimlessly around on his plate.

'Maybe you should try eating it instead of just moving it around on your plate,' I suggested after a moment or two of this.

'I'm not really hungry,' said Harry quietly.

'Harry, you've got to eat something,' said Hermione.

'I don't want anything,' Harry replied.

'Just a bit of toast.'

'I'm not hungry.'

No matter what we tried, we couldn't get Harry to eat anything. He must have been really nervous if even his appetite had gone.

'Harry, you need your strength,' said Seamus who was sat beside Ron. 'Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team.'

'Thanks, Seamus,' muttered Harry.

With no lessons on Saturdays there were no bells. The four of us remained in the Great Hall until an announcement was made informing us that it was time to head down to the Quidditch Stadium in the grounds. Harry seemed to pale even more at this news. While Ron and Hermione got up to leave the Hall with the rest of the students, I hung back to speak to Harry. We followed behind the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. We could hear Wood talking loudly about the team's prospects.

'You feeling OK?' I asked Harry. We followed the crowds of students walking back up to fourth floor. The Quidditch pitch was apparently located in the grounds somewhere near to Hagrid's Hut and so we had to go out the castle via the Clock Tower Courtyard.

'I'm fine,' said Harry. His voice didn't sound as confident though.

'Harry, it's all right to be nervous,' I said. 'I'd be surprised actually if you weren't.'

'Well then don't be surprised,' said Harry.

I rolled my eyes but smiled nonetheless. At least his sense of humour hadn't been affected.

'You know, it's going to be OK, right?' I asked him. 'You've been training really hard and Wood's told you everything you need to know. You're also a natural on a broom so you have that on your side too. You don't have anything to worry about.'

'Apart from playing a game that I'd never heard of before until a few months ago,' said Harry, 'and embarrassing myself in front of the entire school.'

Harry and I walked out into the Clock Tower Courtyard. The morning outside was bright and clear but there was still the November chill in the air. I was glad I had my scarf with me. The students were all heading down the hill on the other side of the Stone Circle, veering off to the right away from Hagrid's Hut where I could see a series of towers visible in the distance.

'Harry, they wouldn't have put you on the team if they didn't think you were up to it,' I told him.

'Well what if they were wrong?' said Harry. 'What if I'm not the "secret weapon" Wood thinks I am?'

'I find that hard to believe, Harry.' Harry gave me a strange look. From my pocket I took out a photograph. I handed it to Harry. 'Take a look at this. I thought you might need it to give your spirits a bit of a boost.'

Harry looked at the photo. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar face staring back at him.

'Where did you find this?' Harry asked.

'In the library,' I said. 'It has records of all the school's previous House Cup winners and Quidditch teams, things like that. I was looking through one of them to see how many times Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup when I came across this photo from the seventies. I thought you'd want to see it.'

Harry looked back at the photo. Gathered with the rest of his team was his seventeen-year-old dad, James Potter. He was dressed in his Quidditch jersey, the number three on the left chest part, implying that he was a Chaser. He was grinning from ear to ear as his team held up the Quidditch Cup for that year. It was then that I saw just how similar Harry looked to his dad. They had the same messy black hair, the same glasses, and the same grin. The only thing that was different were his eyes.

'Wow, you really do look like your dad,' I said. 'But you have –'

'My mother's eyes,' Harry said. I looked at him. We shared a smile. 'It's not the first time someone has said that to me.'

'Come on, Harry!' Wood was calling him from the entrance to the changing room. 'I've got a few last plays I need to go through with you!'

'I better go,' said Harry. I nodded.

'Hope that made you feel a bit better,' I said. 'I'll see you after the match.'

I left Harry and headed to one of the stands containing the Gryffindor students. Draped in red and gold material, I climbed the wooden stairs to the seating area. At the top I finally got my first look at a Quidditch pitch. It was a large stretched oval pitch at least a few hundred feet long with a goal at either end. In the goals were three tall poles of varying heights each with a hoop on the top and a sand pit at the bottom. I assumed that was in case the Keeper was knocked off his broom or something. In the centre of the pitch was a circle where I could just see Madam Hooch standing waiting for the teams to arrive. Slowly I made my way through the Gryffindor students until I found Ron and Hermione sitting in the top row with the other Gryffindor first-years. Neville was waving a small red and gold flag while Seamus was holding up a banner saying "Go! Go! Gryffindor!". Beside them, Dean was sat wearing an odd pale blue and dark red shirt under his jacket saying "West Ham".

'What's Dean wearing?' I whispered to Ron and Hermione.

'He says it's his football team's colours,' said Ron, 'whatever football is.'

'It's a Muggle sport, Ronald,' said Hermione. 'Honestly.'

'Ladies and gentlemen!'

A loud voice suddenly started over the stadium. It sounded like one of Fred and George's friends, a boy they'd introduced to us as Lee Jordan. I guess he was the commentator for the match. A loud cheer greeted his voice.

'Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!' Jordan was saying, his voice magically magnified throughout the entire stadium for everyone to hear. 'For today's match, it's Slytherin versus Gryffindor!' There was another loud cheer. 'Now please give it up for the teams! Slytherin!'

Down on the pitch I saw two lines of students walk out on to the grass. The Slytherins were dressed in green and silver robes, the burly looking sixth-year from earlier at the front of the line. He must be the Captain. The only cheers came from the quadrant of the stands that contained the rest of the Slytherin students, while the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students reluctantly applauded.

'And Gryffindor!'

The cheers for the Gryffindor team were three times louder than they were for the Slytherin team as the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws welcomed them on to the pitch. It didn't stop the Slytherins from booing though. Seven students walked on to the pitch dressed in red and gold, Harry and Wood standing at the front of the line. Ron, Hermione and I cheered as loud as we could when we saw him.

The two teams gathered around Madam Hooch in the central circle. We couldn't hear what she was saying to them but after a few moments Wood and the Slytherin Captain shook hands before taking their places beside their teammates. The fourteen players mounted their brooms, ready. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the players shot into the air. They levelled themselves to wait for her second whistle. From a box on the ground the two Bludgers flew from their restraints followed by the Golden Snitch. The three balls zoomed off. Madam Hooch then picked up the Quaffle. With a second whistle she threw it high into the air. The game had begun.

'And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor –' Jordan announced over the stadium, '- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –'

You didn't need a loudspeaker or spell to hear Professor McGonagall's reprimand of Lee Jordan's commentary. He sheepishly apologised then carried on.

'And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by Slytherin – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goalposts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!'

I cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindors as Angelina scored the first goal of the match. I couldn't believe how fast the game was played. I'd never seen any Muggle sport go this speed before. Just trying to keep your eyes on whoever had the Quaffle was almost impossible. It was enough to make you dizzy. Above all the action Harry seemed to just be hovering around. By now Hagrid had joined us, taking up almost all the available space that was left on the back row. Ron filled him in on what had happened so far.

'Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin',' muttered Hagrid.

I watched the game with mounting anticipation. The Gryffindor and Slytherin Chasers flew around the pitch with such speed and accuracy, passing the Quaffle with precision to one another before –

'AND GRYFFINDOR SCORE AGAIN!' shouted Jordan's voice.

Another loud cheer rang through the stadium.

'Slytherin in possession. Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the –'

Jordan's commentary came to a sudden stop. I looked round to see what was going on.

'– was that the Snitch?'

Sure enough Harry had gone into a dive, shooting past the Slytherin Seeker. I could just see a flash of gold fluttering in front of him. The Slytherin Seeker chased after him. Everyone's attention was now on the two as they dove for the Snitch; even the other players had stopped what they were doing to watch what was happening. The only player who didn't was the Slytherin Captain, Flint. He was flying towards where Harry and the Slytherin Seeker were headed. Harry was ahead. He had raised his arm and – WHAM! Harry smacked straight into Flint. The Gryffindors erupted in anger, shouting "Foul" and calling for a penalty to be taken.

'Send him off, ref!' Dean was shouting. 'Red card!'

'This isn't football, Dean,' said Ron. 'You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?'

'They oughta change the rules, Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air,' shouted Hagrid.

Even Jordan was voicing his objections.

'So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –'

'Jordan!' growled Professor McGonagall's voice.

'I mean, after that open and revolting foul –'

' _Jordan, I'm warning you_ –'

'All right, all right. Flint nearly kills Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession.

'Spinnet sets off down the pitch – passes to Chaser Bell but is intercepted by Pucey – Pucey dodges Johnson – one of the Weasleys sends a Bludger his way – it hits and the Quaffle is taken back by Gryffindor – not for long though as the Slytherin Beater sends a Bludger back in return.

I watched as the Quaffle went back and forth between the players, up and down the pitch. As my eyes went across the pitch they glanced over where Harry was. I did a double take when I saw what I thought was his broom bucking. I nudged Ron and Hermione who had also noticed Harry's broom was acting strangely. Slowly the entire stadium began to realise what was happening.

'Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose –'

'JORDAN!'

'– only joking, Professor – Slytherin score – oh no …'

Higher and higher Harry's broom went. It continued to buck and try to throw Harry off it, thrashing about as Harry struggled to stay on it. People gasped each time it looked like Harry was going to be thrown from his broom. The Slytherins meanwhile were cheering.

'Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing,' muttered Hagrid, confused. He looked through his binoculars at where Harry was. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom … but he can't have …'

'Harry!' shouted Hermione and I in unison.

Harry's broom had given a particularly violent jerk and he was thrown forwards over the handle. He swung off his broom, one of his hands losing its grip. A gasp went round the stadium. Harry was hanging on to his broom with his other hand, dangling from it as it continued to jerk about.

'Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?' asked Seamus.

'Can't have,' grumbled Hagrid. 'Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand.'

'Dark magic?' repeated Hermione. She looked sharply at Ron and me then snatched Hagrid's binoculars out of his hands. She was looking frantically all around the stadium in the stands for something. 'There!' she burst. 'Quick, take a look!'

Hermione handed me the binoculars and pointed over to the stand where some of the teachers were sitting.

'What are you doing?' moaned Ron.

I ignored him as I followed Hermione's point through the binoculars. Several of the teachers were sitting in the top stand including Professor Snape, Professor Quirrell, Professor Sinistra and Professor Vector. All were watching the match and were shocked by the antics of Harry's broom, their eyes fixed on him. Especially Snape's. In fact he was staring at where Harry was floating fixedly, his eyes unblinking and he was muttering something under his breath.

'Snape,' I said. 'It looks like he's muttering something.'

'I knew it,' said Hermione. She took the binoculars from me and handed them to Ron. 'It's Snape – look. He's doing something – jinxing the broom.'

'What should we do?' asked Ron.

'Leave it to me.'

Before we could even stop her, Hermione was pushing her way through those sat on the back row and disappeared out of sight. With her gone Ron and I turned back to watch Harry. Fred and George were now trying to help him by getting him on to one of their brooms but every time they got close enough to him the broom went higher and higher. They ended up circling beneath him in hopes to catch him if he lost his grip. All the while this was going on the Slytherins had scored another few times bringing the score to twenty-fifty. Ron, the rest of the Gryffindors and I waited with bated breath for something to happen. Whatever Hermione was doing she better do it soon.

Harry's broom gave another shudder. It looked like Harry's grip was going to slip at any moment. But then it stopped. Harry hung there for a few moments before pulling himself back on to his broom. With his broom no longer acting up Harry went shooting off. The crowd cheered as he soared to the ground. Before he even had time to pull out of his dive Harry had hit the ground and was knocked off his broom on to his back. He rolled over on to all fours as he seemed to wretch from the landing.

'Is he OK?' I asked.

'I don't know,' said Ron. 'He looks like he's going to throw up or something.'

'I've got the Snitch!' came Harry's distant shout.

'Harry Potter's caught the Snitch!' repeated Jordan's magnified voice. 'Gryffindor gets an extra one hundred and fifty points for Potter's catch bringing the score to one hundred and seventy to sixty. GRYFFINDOR WINS!'

With the match over, Ron and I climbed down from the stands to go meet Harry at the changing rooms. Hermione reappeared from wherever she had gone with a pleased smile on her face. Harry appeared a few minutes later having escaped from the team's hugs and cheers. He was grinning from ear to ear about his catch but the second we were away from the changing rooms and walking towards Hagrid's Hut where we'd been invited to have a celebratory cup of tea, Harry was asking what had happened to his broom during the match. We knocked on the door and Hagrid let us in. Fang started barking and jumping up at us until Hagrid took hold of his collar and dragged him away so we could get inside. We took a seat at his table and started telling Harry what happened while Hagrid made the tea.

'It was Snape,' Ron told him without hesitation. 'Hermione, Jenna and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you.'

'Rubbish,' said Hagrid dismissively. He laid out four large teacups in front of the four of us and began pouring out the tea. 'Why would Snape do somethin' like that?'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I shared a look. We all seemed to be thinking the same thing. Do we tell him?

'I found out something about him,' Harry then said. 'He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding.'

Hagrid dropped his teapot. It shattered on the floor near to Fang's basket causing him to yelp in surprise and jump on to Hagrid's bed.

'How do you know about Fluffy?'

' _Fluffy?_ ' chorused the four of us.

'That _thing_ has a name?' I added. 'It's anything but "fluffy".'

'Yeah, course he's got a name – he's mine – bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –'

Hagrid stopped, his eyes wide.

'Yes?' asked Harry eagerly.

'I shouldn'ta said that,' muttered Hagrid. 'Now, don't ask me any more,' he then said louder to us. 'That's top secret that is.'

'But Snape's trying to _steal_ it.'

'Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort.'

'So why did he just try and kill Harry?' said Hermione.

'We don't know that for sure, Hermione, we don't have any proof,' I interrupted, trying to be reasonable in amongst the accusations, but she dismissed it.

'Nonsense,' Hagrid was saying.

'I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!'

'I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong,' snapped Hagrid. 'I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh –' he gave us a stern look, pointing at each of us in turn, 'yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –'

'Aha!' said Harry. 'So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?'

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

'I'm not sayin' anythin' more,' he grumbled. 'You four already know more than yer should. How yeh even came across Fluffy, I don't want ter know.'

'Not by choice,' I said quietly to the others.

'But yeh listen to me,' Hagrid repeated, 'what yeh've found out is dangerous an' yer need ter drop it. Now I want yer to promise me yeh won't go digging fer any more information. You'll forget what yeh've learnt and more importantly yeh won't say anythin' to anyone else. Do yer understand?'

The four of us looked at each other. It looked like Hagrid was serious about this.

'Yes, Hagrid,' said Harry eventually.

'Good,' grunted Hagrid. He turned round and picked up a plate of rock cakes. He put them down on the table in front of us. 'Have a rock cake.'

'I think Hagrid was serious this time,' I said to the others when we finally left his Hut. It was almost lunchtime and there was a rumour that the lunch after a Quidditch match was always a roast of some sorts. 'We shouldn't know about Fluffy or that it's guarding something. It's nothing to do with us.'

'Even if we aren't meant to know about it, we do,' said Harry, 'and we know that Snape's after it. Why else would he try to get past Fluffy if he wasn't after what it's guarding?'

'So what are we meant to do?' asked Ron.

'We find out who Nicolas Flamel is,' said Harry. 'When we find out who he is, we'll find out what it is that dog's guarding.'

'The library,' said Hermione. 'There's bound to be a book which will have something about Nicolas Flamel in it.'

'Let's go then.'

'Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?' I muttered as I followed the others as they ran off back to the castle. I got the distinct feeling that lunch was not on their minds any longer.

I'm not sure what it was, but the more we found out about whatever was going on in the castle that involved that three-headed dog, the less I wanted anything to do with it. I just had a bad feeling that whatever it was that was being guarded was not something we should be involved in. Hagrid himself had said it was dangerous. As for accusing Snape, while I couldn't deny that there was something suspicious about his behaviour at the Quidditch match and had seen for myself him muttering words under his breath while staring at where Harry had been struggling to hold on to his broom, we had no proof of why he was doing it and no proof that Snape had tried to get past Fluffy in the first place. Harry may have heard Snape mention the dog but he didn't actually say he was trying to get past it from what Harry had told us. Either way Harry couldn't be swayed and so I did my best to go along with it despite my concerns.

November soon faded away into December. In the space of one night the castle and grounds were transformed. A thick blanket of snow had fallen and enveloped the school in its frozen glory, a picturesque white landscape that you would find in any Muggle snow globe around this time of year. It was like someone had dusted the place with a layer of icing sugar. The turrets and towers of the castle looked like something out of a fairytale the way they glinted in the sunlight; the grounds in such a perfect layer of snow it seemed a shame that soon it would be broken by dozens of footprints as people went into the grounds for class; and the lake was a frozen grey ice rink, vast and dazzling as the sun reflected off it. Of course with this new wave of cold weather a new wave of cold winds came with it. Nowadays you wouldn't see a single student without their scarves and gloves wrapped tightly around them as they went from class to class. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were no exception, even with Hermione's little fire jar to keep us warm. All it did was make the roaring fires in the Gryffindor Tower just that much more pleasant to go back to at the end of the day.

As the holidays approached I had to start thinking about what I wanted to do for them, whether I wanted to stay here or go home to Lupin's for Christmas. I'd never had a family Christmas before and so I wasn't really sure what to do. I had ordered Lupin a Christmas present I'd seen advertised in a recent copy of _The Daily Prophet_ and was waiting for it to be delivered. Other than that, I didn't really know what it was going to be like. Whenever Christmas came round while I was at The Refuge, it was a very mute affair; we'd have a tree and decorate the main room but that was it. As for Christmas dinner, I wouldn't say getting second helpings made it that much of a treat.

'Such a special time of year, a time to be with ones families,' I overheard Malfoy saying during Potions that Friday. The class was busy brewing the Wiggenweld Potion, a potion that would even wake someone from a sleep-induced state, while he still had time to talk loud enough for everyone to hear. I was sat in the back row with Harry, Ron and Hermione as far away from Malfoy as we could be without being the other side of the classroom door. Like the rest of the class we were huddled around our cauldrons as close as we could be as it was even colder down here in the dungeons than it was up in the main castle. 'I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home.'

Malfoy's grey eyes flicked over to where we were sitting. Crabbe and Goyle laughed at Malfoy's comment. Harry and I shared a look. Ever since the Quidditch match, Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual and had done his best to make anyone who'd listen laugh at his jokes about how a frog would be a better Seeker than Harry. Once he'd realised it wasn't working, he'd gone back to insulting Harry.

'Malfoy think he's insulting me,' said Harry in a low voice to me. 'The joke's on him. I'm glad I'm not going back to the Dursleys for the holidays.'

'You don't have to stay here though,' I said to him. 'You could always come and stay at mine over the holidays. I'm sure my Uncle will be OK with it.'

'I'll be fine, Jenna, really,' said Harry. 'Besides, Ron said he's probably going to be staying too if his parents decide to go visit his older brother.'

'Well the invitation is always there if you change your mind,' I told him.

'You should all be adding the final few ingredients to your potions,' came Snape's voice. He was pacing up and down the classroom, his black eyes peering at each individual cauldron. A sneer twisted his lips when he eyed mine and Harry's then Hermione and Ron's. 'If it turns a pale turquoise when you add the honeywater then you will have made an at least passable version of the Wiggenweld potion.'

I finished stirring our potion and added a few drops of the honeywater. Gradually the colour changed to the turquoise depicted in our books. It wasn't quite as pale as it probably should have been but it was at least the right colour. Beside me Harry increased the heat as the instructions said and we let it simmer until its colour changed again to pink. He then added the last few drops of salamander blood and the potion turned green.

'When you have finished your potion, I want two full phials of it on my desk for marking,' said Snape. He swept back to the front of the classroom to his desk. He sat down behind it and picked up a quill. 'Anyone who does not present a phial will receive an instant fail.'

The bell signalling the end of lessons rang. In front of us Dean was pouring their potion in to a couple of phials as Neville was shaking too much to do so himself. I took a phial out of my bag and handed it to Harry then took one out for myself. Once filled, I went with Hermione to put our samples on Snape's desk. We returned to our desk at the back and gathered our things then left with Harry and Ron. We walked quickly back up to the warmth of the main castle only to find the corridor between the dungeons and Entrance Hall blocked by what looked like a large pine tree. We could just see Hagrid's shaggy black hair over the top branches as he dragged it along on its side. Ron pushed aside some branches and stuck his head through them.

'Hi, Hagrid, want any help?' he asked.

'Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron,' puffed Hagrid.

'Would you mind moving out of the way?'

I glanced over my shoulder. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind us. An unimpressed smirk graced Malfoy's pale face as he stared at the tree blocking the way.

'Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley?' he drawled. 'Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that Hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to.'

'Ron!' shouted Hermione and I when he lunged at Malfoy. He had just grabbed Malfoy's robes when Snape suddenly appeared from the opposite end of the corridor.

'WEASLEY!' he bellowed.

Ron let go of Malfoy's robes.

'He was provoked, Professor Snape.' Hagrid's head appeared from behind the tree. 'Malfoy was insultin' his family.'

'Be that as it may,' said Snape slowly, his eyes glaring at Ron, 'fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid. Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you.'

Snape brushed past the tree and off up the corridor. With a gratified smirk in our direction, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle also pushed past it. I covered my face as a shower of needles flew in our direction.

'I'll get him,' said Ron through gritted teeth, 'one of these days, I'll get him –'

'I hate both of them,' said Harry, 'Malfoy and Snape.'

'Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas,' said Hagrid. He held up some branches so that the four of us could get through. We ducked beneath his arm and slid through the gap between the tree and the wall. We waited as Hagrid let the rest of the class pass by so we could continue our conversation. 'Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat.'

Seizing the trunk once more Hagrid dragged the tree up the corridor to the Entrance Hall and across to the Great Hall with the four of us following alongside it. With a grunt he lifted it up so it was standing on its end leaning up against the wall before taking us inside. It had been entirely transformed once more for the season. Twelve towering Christmas trees lined the sides of the Hall, each decorated with a different selection of stars and baubles and tinsel. The walls themselves were bedecked with bunches of holly and mistletoe with colour ribbons holding the bundles together in neat little clusters. Tiny little icicles hung from the torch brackets and glittering snowflakes fell from the ceiling that was reflecting the winter grey clouds from outside. I gazed in awe around the Hall. The Refuge had never looked as pretty as this at Christmas. At the far end of the Hall where the teacher's table was, Professor Flitwick had bewitched the new tree Hagrid had dragged inside to float over to its stand behind Dumbledore's chair and was now decorating it in tiny little golden bubbles that were sprouting from the tip of his wand. It made me almost wish I was staying here for the holidays instead of going home. Having seen the Hall, Hagrid asked us how many days were left until we were to go home.

'Just one,' said Hermione. 'And that reminds me – Harry, Ron, Jenna, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library.'

My awe of the Hall was quickly replaced with an internal groan. We had spent almost every free moment we had in the library looking for information on Nicolas Flamel since the Quidditch match and hadn't found anything. I'd been hoping with the holidays so close Harry and the others would have forgotten about it but unfortunately Hermione's memory was extremely sharp and so she was always on the ball whenever something needed researching and the library was to be involved.

'Oh yeah, you're right,' said Ron.

We turned and headed back out the Hall. Hagrid followed, intrigued by our need to be researching something at this late time in the term.

'The library?' asked Hagrid. 'Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?'

'Oh, we're not working,' said Harry. 'Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is.'

'You _what_?' burst Hagrid. He hesitated when he realised he was shouting. 'Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it,' he said in a lowered tone. 'It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'. Yeh promised me yeh wouldn' go digging for anythin' more abou' it.'

'We're not,' I said. In our defence, it was true and we hadn't broken our promise to him. We hadn't actually looked for anything more about why the three-headed dog was in the castle or what it was guarding. If we just so happen to find out what the thing was that Snape was trying to steal at the same time, it was pure coincidence.

'We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all,' said Hermione.

'We're interested in what he specialised in,' I confirmed. 'It's just a bit of research to deepen our knowledge of the different fields of magic.'

'Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?' said Harry. 'We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere – just give us a hint – I know I've read his name somewhere.'

'I'm sayin' nothin',' grumbled Hagrid. 'I've said too much ter yer as it is.'

'Just have to find out for ourselves, then,' said Ron.

We walked off up the Marble Staircase, leaving a disgruntled Hagrid behind us.

After almost a month of searching the library for information on Nicolas Flamel and finding nothing, we were running out of areas to look in the library for his name. Every history book we looked in had nothing about what he was famous for and because we weren't sure what area of magic he even worked in we were looking through every subject we could find. One by one we had ticked off the list of books Hermione had written down for us to search in each time we were in here, Hermione then creating a new list from scratch for our next visit. While Ron began pulling books off the shelves he thought would be helpful, I gave Hermione a hand going through what must have been her tenth list of books. After a few minutes searching I overheard Madam Pince's voice somewhere near us. I looked round the corner of the bookcase I was behind to see Madam Pince standing over Harry, her sharp eyes glaring at him. A moment later she was pointing at the door and Harry sheepishly walked off. We'd agreed not to ask Madam Pince if she knew anything about Nicolas Flamel and so if she ever caught us in there wandering around while we looked for books on him, we were to leave as soon as possible and wait for the others outside in case they had found something.

'Harry's been caught,' I whispered to Hermione. I put down the copy of _Ingredient Encyclopaedia_ I'd been looking through. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see Harry leave.

'We better grab Ron and go, then,' said Hermione. 'We'll leave it for today. We should have known Madam Pince would be suspicious of any student in here on the penultimate day of term.'

Hermione and I grabbed Ron then snuck back out the library while Madam Pince had her back turned to us. Harry was waiting for us outside.

'That turned out to be a bust,' said Ron. 'Madam Pince caught us before we even got through the list.'

'You know what she's like,' I said. 'Madam Pince has eyes like a hawk. She'd be on you in seconds if she ever saw you with any food near a book.'

'So you guys didn't find anything either?' asked Harry.

'No,' sighed Hermione. 'When we saw she'd caught you, we thought it best not to push our luck. But there's always the holidays,' she added hopefully. 'You will keep looking while we're away, won't you? And send me an Owl if you find anything.'

'And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is,' said Ron. 'It'd be safe to ask them.'

'Very safe, as they're both dentists,' said Hermione.

'You could always ask your uncle, Jenna,' said Harry. 'He might know something about him, wouldn't he?'

'Maybe,' I said, 'but I wouldn't keep your hopes up.'

On Saturday morning I packed the last few remaining things back into my trunk ready for it to be transported down to the station for the train journey back to London. Dressed in some of my own clothes, I went down to breakfast with Hermione to say goodbye to the boys before we left. With the holidays now here, the Great Hall wasn't as full as it normally would be at half past eight in the morning as the students who were staying took the opportunity to sleep in with the breakfast hours extended until ten o'clock. Harry and Ron were sat at the Gryffindor table alongside Ron's brothers and a few other students. They were playing a game of Wizard's Chess when we joined them. Ron had been teaching him in the last week so they had something to do over the holidays besides go to the library.

The train journey back to London was a quiet one. Hermione was buried in one of her books she'd borrowed from the library for the holidays while Neville, Seamus and Dean who were sharing our compartment were arguing about the differences between Quidditch and football. I sat quietly staring out of the window at the passing countryside. The fields were covered in snow just like the castle had been, blurs of silver and white flying by. The journey seemed to go by in a few hours and soon enough we were back in London, pulling into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. With the train slowing down I got my trunk down from the luggage rack above and joined the queue of students in the corridor waiting for the train to stop. I stepped off the train on to the platform, looking around for any sign of Lupin.

'Jenna! Over here!'

My eyes caught sight of Lupin walking up the platform over to me. I turned and said a quick goodbye to Hermione and the others before dragging my trunk and owl cage over to greet Lupin. He gave me a big hug when I reached him, holding me in his arms for a good minute or so.

'Ah, I've missed you,' he said. Lupin released me and held me at arms length. 'The cottage was oddly quiet with you gone over the term. So how was school?'

Lupin took hold of my trunk and we headed for the exit.

'It was great,' I told him. 'I'm struggling a bit with some of the spells but I'm getting there. My homework is getting good marks though even though my magic's still a bit weak.' I decided it was best not to mention that I'd run into a three-headed dog named Fluffy or that I was nearly killed by a troll on Hallowe'en.

'It'll improve with time,' Lupin told me. 'It took myself a good half a year before I managed to perform my first spell perfectly. Just keep trying and you'll manage it eventually.'

Once out of the station, Lupin and I turned into the same alley we'd arrived at the station back in September and we Disapparated back to Moonlake Cottage.

It appeared Lupin had made every effort to make my first Christmas at Moonlake Cottage a special one. While I'd been away at school he had decorated the house for me. We arrived in a flurry of snow as it kicked up on re-entry. Once it had cleared I saw that the house and garden looked like something off a Muggle Christmas card. The eaves had dozens of icicles hanging precariously off the edge and the windowsills looked like they'd had thick icing piped all over them. On the front door over the window was a large bushy holly wreath glistening with strands of silver and gold ribbons and small bunches of scarlet berries.

Inside, the house had been completely transformed. Small twinkling coloured lights lined the walls of the hallway and in the living room, flashing on and off in repetitive patterns; hanging from the ceiling were miniature golden baubles with tiny little wings that made them look like Golden Snitches; in what I assumed was a nod to my Muggle grandmother, there were some of the more traditional decorations I knew from my time at The Refuge, multicoloured stars and circular snowflakes gently spinning as they hung in the kitchen; the banister had tinsel wrapped around it from the foot to the top of the stairs; and finally, standing proudly in the corner, was a Christmas tree, its branches dusted in fake snow and small delicate figurines of all sorts hanging from them too. Gold and silver stars and moons wove in between more ribbons while coloured baubles dotted here and there. It was the best-looking Christmas tree I'd ever seen, even better than the ones that were in the Hogwarts Great Hall.

'I thought you might like a proper Christmas,' Lupin told me. 'I hope I didn't go too over the top. I haven't really celebrated Christmas for the past few years.'

'It's brilliant,' I said. 'Lupin, it's better than I imagined.'

For some reason, Lupin frowned.

'Jenna, you can call me Remus,' he said. I hesitated and looked down. 'You know that, don't you?'

I nodded, 'I know, I just … I can't explain why. It just doesn't feel right to do so. Not yet at least.'

Lupin watched me a moment or so longer. He seemed to sigh and he gently stroked my hair.

'I'm sorry, Jenna, I shouldn't push you,' he said. 'You're still getting used to everything and I know that. You'll do so when you're ready. Now, how about you come and help me make a cake for granddad? He's coming over in the next few days to meet you and chocolate cake was always his favourite.'

Meeting my grandfather was not something I'd anticipated having to do. Call me naive, but I was under the impression that Lupin was the only family I had. I didn't really think about any other relatives I might have. I probably had them, particularly on my father's side based on what I knew from the Sorting Hat, but I certainly didn't know of any of them. The prospect of meeting other family members was both exciting and scary at the same time. I was eleven years old and these were people who should have known me my entire life. What were they going to expect when they meet me?

My grandfather arrived Friday before Christmas day. His arrival was announced by the sound of whooshing coming from the fireplace as he Flooed to Moonlake Cottage. When I heard the sound of flames blooming in the fireplace I put down my wand and went to the door between the kitchen and the living room. I peered round it to see Lupin helping him out of the fireplace. They hugged and greeted each other. I watched silently, intrigued by the older man. He looked exactly like Lupin, just an older version of him. His hair was grey with remnants of the same mousy brown in it that matched Lupin's and was tied back into a short ponytail; he had the same build too, tall and lean, and was dressed smartly in a pair of navy robes; his eyes though were almost identical, the exact brown of Lupin's own. As I was watching them I leant on the door a bit too much causing it to creak. Lupin and my grandfather looked towards me.

'Is this her?' asked my grandfather, pointing at me. Lupin nodded.

'Why don't you come and say hello to your grandfather, Jenna?' he called to me.

Cautiously I came out of the kitchen. I walked over to them, nervously looking up at my grandfather. He was looking at me with the same curiosity that Lupin had the day he adopted me.

'Jenna, this is your grandfather, Lyall,' said Lupin.

'Nice to meet you,' I said quietly.

'Shy young thing, isn't she?' said my grandfather. 'I can see what you mean though. She looks just like Tala did at her age.'

I blushed. Grandfather knelt down to me.

'So you're Jenna, are you?' he asked me. I nodded. 'Well, it's nice to meet you too, Jenna. You can call me Grandpa Lyall if you want. Or Granddad.' I nodded again. Granddad chuckled. 'You know, Remus has told me a lot about you and about the day he found you. I hadn't seen him so happy in years compared to that day.'

I glanced at Lupin, 'Really?'

'Mmm.' Granddad ushered me over to the sofa. He took a seat and encouraged me to sit beside him. 'He Owled me as soon as he'd got you home. We were both so relieved that he'd found you. We had almost given up hope until your Headmaster told us that your name was still on the register for Hogwarts this year. That was the sign we had to tell us you were alive.

'The last time I saw you though, you were only a baby,' Granddad continued. 'I was one of the first to hold you after you were born. You were so tiny. I still remember the look on your mum's face, beaming down at you in her arms. I, too, couldn't have been prouder of her at that moment, being so young but responsible to choose to have you.'

Granddad looked down at me. He smiled, putting his arm around me. I could hear Lupin busy in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

'Ah, listen to me, going on,' said Granddad. 'I'm an old wizard of few pleasures these days. At least I now have a granddaughter I can spoil.' He raised his eyebrow at me. 'Want to hear some stories of the trouble your mum and uncle used to get into?'

He grinned at me. I couldn't help but grin back.

Granddad stayed until Christmas. I actually really enjoyed having him around. The stories he told about what Mum and Lupin were like when they were my age were brilliant. Mum was quite the troublemaker apparently, which explained his surprise that I was so shy when he met me, while Lupin, though the sensible one, had had his fair share of detentions while he'd been at Hogwarts. _If only he knew_ , I thought. I wouldn't say a three-headed dog and a troll was keeping out of trouble. It was funny watching Lupin cringe at the stories Granddad told about his misbehaviour and what he used to get up to at school with his friends. But Lupin's level-headed nature prevailed in his later years and he was made a Prefect when he was in his fifth year. Grandma and Granddad had been proud of both of them and, even though Grandma had died just before I was born she would have been proud of me too like he was.

On Christmas morning, I awoke to find a small pile of presents stuffed into a stocking at the end of my bed. I couldn't believe it. I had presents. The Refuge could never afford to get us things for Christmas and so only Matron would ever get us something small for the occasion. When I got downstairs, I found there were more under the tree, a small pile of different shaped packages for us. Lupin and Granddad were both already up, Granddad busily preparing a special breakfast for us.

Christmas Day as a whole was a quiet affair. Lupin allowed me to open my stocking presents while we sat in the living room eating the waffles Granddad had made for us. They were delicious. Apparently it was an old Muggle recipe of Grandma's. In my stocking I got a good selection of sweets as well as some more practical things that I could use for the new term of school in January. The rest of the presents were to wait until after lunch. The day passed by in a pleasant haze; we sat in front of a blazing fire playing some Muggle board games that Granddad had brought over to help make me feel more at home, being aware of my Muggle background, before sitting down for a traditional roast lunch that he and Lupin prepared. I eagerly helped myself to slices of chicken and lashings of potatoes and gravy, enjoying such a perfect day with my family.

When lunch was finished we sat back down in the living room to open the rest of the presents. Not knowing I had a Granddad, Lupin covered me and presented him with the homemade chocolate cake we had made a few days ago. While Granddad tucked into a slice, I gave Lupin his gift from me. It was a book about magical defence I'd seen advertised which I thought he'd like. The majority of the presents were for me to my surprise with there being ones from Harry, Ron and Hermione there as well. The two boys had each given me a box of cauldron cakes and Chocolate Frogs while Hermione had given me a diary. Even her presents were school orientated. Lupin and Granddad had got me the best present though. I knew Lupin didn't have much money, so when he presented me with a broomstick I was lost for words at how he could afford it.

'Your Granddad and I both paid for it,' said Lupin. 'We wanted to get you something useful and that you'd enjoy. We figured as your mother always enjoyed flying, maybe you would too.'

I couldn't deny Lupin was right in his estimation that I enjoyed flying. I had been doing OK in Flying lessons and Madam Hooch had been pleased with my progress over the course of the term, despite the fact we were flying on very outdated brooms. The school really needed to replace the Shooting Stars they had. I looked over my broom. It looked brand new judging by the sleek polished handle and the twigs of its tail were all neat and straight. At the tip of its shaft were the letters "Thunderbolt III" which I assumed was its make. I felt a slight twinge of guilt at the thought of how much this might have cost Lupin but I promised myself I would take care of it and get as much use out of it as I could.

Before Granddad left on Boxing Day, he had one last present for me. It was another diary but this time it was one that had belonged to my Mum. When he had gone, I started reading it at the kitchen table while Lupin prepared us some dinner out of the leftovers from Christmas lunch the previous day. My eyes skimmed page after page of her neat handwriting, reading every word she had written. It had loads of entries in it, especially in her later years at Hogwarts. She certainly mentioned my father a lot. They had seemed very close, it made me wonder just exactly what had happened that made him disappear. One thing intrigued me though about her later entries. It was clear they were caught up in the war that was going on judging by the context of the entries, almost as if she and her friends were in the centre of it. But the way they were written, they were different to the others. It was like she knew bad things were going to happen, as if she could predict them.

'Lupin, did Mum have any special talents?' I asked.

'Other than a talent for trouble?' countered Lupin. I smiled at his joke. 'Your mum was a talented witch. She was certainly very good at pushing me out of her bedroom when she wanted some privacy. Was there anything in particular you were meaning?'

'I'm not sure,' I replied. 'It's just her diary entries and the way they're written.'

Lupin walked over to the table. He picked up the diary and read what was there. He seemed to recognise something in them.

'Tala always knew more than she let on,' he said. 'She was very observant, more so than most. She excelled in Divination during her third year at Hogwarts but chose not to pursue it, finding it boring and unchallenging. Professor Mopsus was very disappointed when she left his classes. Her perceptive skills were second to none though. She always did seem to know things that others didn't.'

Lupin handed back the diary and returned to cooking dinner. I continued to read it, wondering what else my Mum could do and had known.

The full moon had been and gone by the end of the holidays, arriving just before Christmas. With Granddad visiting, he looked after me during Lupin's transformation and then helped me heal Lupin the following morning. He spent the following day in bed as he recovered. While he was resting Granddad told me about how Mum used to keep him company during the full moons by transforming into a horse with her own gift so that he wasn't a danger to her. It had been one of the things that made her and Lupin very close as teenagers. It was something that Lupin missed most about her according to Granddad, her company. This saddened me. I guess the full moons were a very lonely time for Lupin. Later that afternoon I went to check on Lupin. He was tired but feeling better after getting some sleep. Braving it I asked about Mum keeping him company during the full moons, and whether he'd ever let me do the same. I didn't want him to face them alone if he didn't have to.

'It is a thought that has crossed my mind,' said Lupin tiredly. 'But it'd be very irresponsible of me as a parent to allow you to do that at such a young age, especially when you don't know how to use your gift.'

'I could learn,' I said. 'You could teach me, can't you?'

'I can certainly help you learn,' reasoned Lupin. 'But it would have to wait until you're back from school for the summer. As for being with me during the full moon, I have been looking into it. There has been word around the werewolf community that a potion has been created to help us during our transformations and I have been in contact with someone who knows some inside information. As soon as I have more, we can look into it properly.'

I hadn't really thought about my "gift", as Lupin called it, since I accidentally transformed when I first learnt Lupin was a werewolf. Being able to transform into animals wasn't exactly high on my priority list nor did I really consider it to be a useful ability to have. But I shared this gift with my Mum and it was something that she and Lupin had shared together when they were younger; perhaps if I learned to control it, maybe it could be something I could share with him too.

* * *

AN: so changes to this chapter include the fact that Lupin's father, Lyall, is actually still alive according to the information on Pottermore and so I decided Jenna should get the chance to meet him and get to know him too. I hope he'll make more appearances in the future. like the previous one, this chapter has also been split in two and 'A Different Kind of Bravery' will be the next one.


	8. A Different Kind of Bravery

Chapter 7

A Different Kind of Bravery

Lupin took me to King's Cross Station to get the Hogwarts Express back to school the day before it was due to start. I met Hermione on the platform after I'd said goodbye to Lupin and we settled down in a compartment together and talked about our holidays. Of course one of Hermione's main concerns was whether or not Harry and Ron had found out anything on Nicolas Flamel yet. I held in my sigh; I had hoped the holidays would make them forget all this Flamel and three-headed dog business but it appeared to have certainly not deterred Hermione. I guess that probably meant the boys wouldn't have forgotten about them either.

It turned out that Harry and Ron had had little luck in locating any information about Nicolas Flamel while we had been away. What Harry did find, however, was very different. Up in their dormitory, Harry showed us a present he'd received over Christmas: it was an Invisibility Cloak, a long flowing piece of material that felt like water under your fingers, that had belonged to his father. With it he had snuck into the Restricted Section of the library to see if he could find anything on Flamel, only to be almost caught when a book screamed in his face and gave him away to Filch. Harry had hidden in an empty classroom where he'd come across a large mirror called the Mirror of Erised. According to what Dumbledore had told him when he found Harry one night with the mirror, it showed him only his hearts desire and he was advised to stay away. Despite being horrified at the thought he'd been out of bed at night, while I wasn't really that surprised by Harry's actions, Hermione and I agreed it was best to keep away from the mirror. It didn't stop her being disappointed though that the search for Nicolas Flamel had been unsuccessful.

Just like last term, we spent any free moment we had in the library once again looking for anything on this wizard but to no avail. Harry had even less time than Ron, Hermione and I as Wood had begun Quidditch training as soon as term started and so Harry was spending every evening out in the wet weather training for the next match of the season. When he wasn't training the four of us were getting back into the swing of classes and the miserable task of once again doing homework.

It had been on one particularly rainy evening that Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team had returned to the Tower covered in mud and all were looking rather down. He came and sat with us in our favourite chairs in the common room where Ron was teaching Hermione and me how to play Wizards Chess. It was the first thing I'd ever seen Hermione fail at. She wasn't impressed when Ron gloated while trying to plan his next move. It was only when he saw Harry's face that his concentration was derailed.

'What's the matter with you?' he asked. 'You look terrible.'

'It's Snape,' said Harry in a low voice. 'For some reason, he suddenly wants to be a Quidditch referee. He's overseeing Gryffindor's next match against Hufflepuff.'

'Don't play,' said Hermione instantly.

'Say you're ill,' said Ron.

'Pretend to break your leg.'

' _Really_ break your leg.'

'I can't,' said Harry. 'There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all.'

'Then play,' I said. Hermione and Ron gaped at me. 'Come on, if Snape's refereeing the match, do you really think he'd be stupid enough to try something with the entire school watching?'

Ron's comeback was stopped before he'd opened his mouth. A noise from the portrait hole had caught our attention. We looked over just in time to see Neville stumbled through the entrance and fall flat on his face from his legs being magically held together by what looked like a Leg-Locker Curse. I could only guess how long he'd been hopping about like that. While the rest of the students in the common room laugh, Hermione jumped up to help him. She said the counter curse and Neville's legs were released. Shakily he got to his feet.

'What happened?' asked Hermione. She helped Neville over to where we were sitting.

'Malfoy,' stuttered Neville. 'I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on.'

'Go to Professor McGonagall!' urged Hermione. 'Report him.'

'Hermione, that won't do any good,' I said. 'Malfoy would have made sure there were no witnesses. There'd be no way to prove Malfoy did it apart from Neville's word.'

Neville agreed, shaking his head.

'I don't want any more trouble,' he said quietly.

'You've got to stand up to him, Neville!' said Ron. 'He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier.'

'There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor,' said Neville, 'Malfoy's already done that.'

'It's OK, Neville,' I said kindly. 'Not everyone's brave when they're eleven years old.'

'You were all brave with that troll,' he sniffed.

'That wasn't bravery,' I whispered to him. 'That was stupidity getting lucky.'

Harry pulled out a Chocolate Frog from his pocket and gave it to Neville.

'You're worth twelve of Malfoy,' Harry told him. 'The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin.'

This seemed to cheer Neville up a bit. A small smile twitched on his lip. He unwrapped the Frog and took a bite of it.

'Thanks, Harry … I think I'll go to bed … D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?'

Neville gave Harry the card and walked off up to the dormitories. With Neville gone I reset the chess board so I could play Ron when Harry let out a gasp. He shoved the card under our noses, pointing at the writing on the back. He'd found Flamel.

'I _told_ you I'd read the name somewhere before,' he said, 'I read it on the train coming here – listen to this: "Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood _and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel_ "!'

All of a sudden Hermione jumped to her feet and ran off upstairs. She came down seconds later with an enormous book in her hands. She dumped it with a thud on to our table.

'I never thought to look in here!' she said in an excited whisper. 'I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.'

'This is _light_?' said Ron, staring at the book. Hermione gave him a look and told him to be quiet then started flicking through the pages. A few minutes later she shoved the book back under our noses.

'I knew it! I _knew it_!'

'Are we allowed to speak yet?' grumbled Ron. Again she ignored him.

'Nicolas Flamel,' she whispered, 'is the _only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone_!'

'The what?' said Harry and Ron.

'Oh, _honestly_ , don't you two read? Look – read that, there.'

She pointed at a short passage halfway down the page. I tilted my head so I could read it.

 _The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with  
_ _making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary  
_ _substance with astonishing powers. The Stone  
_ _will transform any metal into pure gold. It also  
_ _produces the Elixir of Life, which will make  
_ _the drinker immortal._

 _There have been many reports of the Philosopher's  
_ _Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently  
_ _in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted  
_ _alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who  
_ _celebrated his six-hundredth and sixty-fifth birthday  
_ _last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife,  
_ _Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

'See?' said Hermione. 'The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they were friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!'

'A Stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!' said Harry. 'No wonder Snape's after it! _Anyone_ would want it.'

'And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that _Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry_ ,' said Ron. 'He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?'

'To think he was right in front of us all the time,' I said, looking at Harry's Chocolate Frog card. 'These sorts of things are always in the last place you look. But the question is why would Snape want the Stone in the first place? He's not exactly dying and he must make a decent amount working at Hogwarts. Why would he need it?'

That was a question, which, at this point, we had no answer to. Even the most obvious answer – stealing it so he could sell it on – seemed a bit too far fetched because what reason would Snape have to do that either? Who would he even sell the Stone to? Surely the only people who could use it would have to know alchemy to be able to do so. It would be useless to anyone else other than an alchemist. It just didn't make any sense.

There were more pressing issues, however, than what Snape might want with the Philosopher's Stone. The next Quidditch match was coming and with Snape refereeing, we had to be on our guard. Harry had decided to play despite his nerves creeping up again. Gryffindor finally had the chance at overtaking Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup. Harry didn't want to let the team down even with a potentially biased referee overseeing the match. In precaution for Harry's safety, Ron, Hermione and I took a charm out of Malfoy's book and started practicing the Leg-Locker Curse in case we felt Snape was going to try and hurt Harry again.

The match arrived. With our wands stowed in our pockets, Ron, Hermione and I wished Harry good luck at the changing rooms before making our way into the stands. We ran through the curse with each other a couple more times before taking our seats next to Neville to wait for the match to start. The entire school had turned up; even Dumbledore himself was visible in the stands, his white beard clear as anything. We watched as the crowd cheered the two teams on to the pitch. There was a very dark look on Snape's brooding face.

'I've never seen Snape look so mean,' said Ron. A whistle went and the teams flew into the air. 'Look – they're off. Ouch!'

'Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there.'

The three of us looked behind us to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle pushing their way through and take the seats behind us.

'Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?'

'Don't rise to him, Ron,' I whispered, 'that's just what he wants.'

'Jenna's right,' said Hermione. 'Just ignore him.'

We tried to focus on the game. Snape had awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George had sent a Bludger his way. Beside me, Hermione had her fingers crossed so tightly it looked like she might break them.

'You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?' said Malfoy loudly behind us. I glanced at him through my hair. Meanwhile Snape had awarded Hufflepuff another penalty. 'It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains.'

Next to Ron, Neville went bright red. Nevertheless he faced Malfoy.

'I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy,' he stuttered. The three Slytherins started laughing.

Ron, who was staring at the game despite the glare on his face, turned to Neville and said, 'You tell them, Neville.'

'That's a laugh, if ever I heard one,' guffawed Malfoy.

I saw Ron lift his fist. I grabbed it and held it back on the bench. His ears were turning red while Neville's face was now bright pink.

'Easy, Ron, ignore him,' I repeated.

'I'm trying, Jenna,' growled Ron.

'Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something.'

'So what does it take to get on the Slytherin team?' I asked Malfoy, turning round. While I had told Ron not to rise to his taunts, I was better at keeping my temper now so I decided to try and shut Malfoy up. 'You've got no spine hiding behind those two thugs of yours and you're stuck up. I'd say you were perfect for it.'

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle stopped laughing. Malfoy glared at me while his friends cracked their knuckles. I glanced at their clenched fists apprehensively but stood my ground.

'Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten about you, Black,' said Malfoy smoothly. 'You should probably be on the team too. You're the worst of all of them. The little orphan.' My eyes narrowed. How did Malfoy know I was an orphan? 'Did your mummy enjoy Father's surprise? I heard she begged them.'

What? What did Malfoy mean by that?

'I'm warning you, Malfoy –' said Ron, 'one more word –'

'Ron!' shouted Hermione. 'Harry –!'

I span round, my attention drawn away from Malfoy. Harry had gone into a dive chasing after something down the length of the pitch. Everyone around us began cheering, Hermione jumping to her feet in anticipation.

'You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!'

I was pushed into Hermione's vacant seat as Ron lunged at Malfoy. He wrestled Malfoy to the ground before he even knew what had hit him. Seconds later Neville had climbed over the seat to help Ron. I was torn between what to do, try and stop Ron and Neville from fighting Malfoy or watch to see what was happening in the match. Hermione hadn't noticed a thing and was still cheering Harry on. At least one of us was. I looked up from the fight in time to see a shot of scarlet fly past Snape missing him by inches as behind me Crabbe and Goyle were pulling Neville away from Malfoy and Ron. Harry had his hand raised, the Golden Snitch clasped in his grip. The match was over.

'Ron!' shrieked Hermione. She was bouncing up and down, screaming and hugging Parvati next to her. 'Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor are in the lead!'

With the match over Ron disentangled himself from Malfoy and the three Slytherins slunk away. Neville, however, had been knocked out by either Crabbe or Goyle. He was lying on the floor of the stands moaning. While the rest of the Gryffindors flooded down into the pitch to congratulate the team Ron, Hermione and I gathered Neville up and together the three of us got him to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, took one look at him and simply rolled her eyes. She asked the three of us what happened and we told her about Malfoy.

'Well aren't you both lucky you came out relatively unscathed,' she said, directed more at Ron than the unconscious Neville who was now lying on one of the beds in the Hospital Wing. 'At least no wands were drawn otherwise the pair of you would be staying here overnight.'

'Lucky that we're still not old enough to do that, you mean,' I muttered to Hermione. She nodded in agreement. There was certainly an advantage to being only eleven and not knowing enough spells yet to be able to use any defensively.

A party was in full swing by the time Ron, Hermione and I got back to the Gryffindor Tower. The entire House was gathered in the common room and were celebrating the team's success. It even looked like Fred and George had got some extra surprises for the celebrations; tiny fireworks were buzzing around the ceiling of the common room and in the corner was a table full of sweets and cakes and sandwiches which looked like they had come from the kitchen. There were even some bottles of an amber liquid that the older students were passing around to each other but as soon as Ron attempted to take one, Percy snatched it off him threatening to tell their mother if he tried to sneak another.

Half an hour had past and there was still no sign of Harry. Concerned, the three of us left our seats in the common room to go find him. We made our way through the crowd and out of the portrait hole only to run into a breathless Harry barely a second after it had closed behind us. He ushered us to a nearby empty classroom and, once he'd checked Peeves was nowhere in sight, shut the door behind us. Ron, Hermione and I all took a seat and waited for Harry to say what was bothering him. Apparently when he was on his way back from the Quidditch stadium he'd seen Snape walking off towards the Forbidden Forest; following them, Harry had witnessed a confrontation between him and Professor Quirrell of all people.

'Snape finished by saying that they'd talk again once Quirrell had decided where his loyalties lie,' said Harry. 'So we were right, it _is_ the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy – and he said something about Quirrell's "hocus-pocus" – I reckon there are other things guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell which Snape needs to break through –'

'So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?' asked Hermione, her eyes wide.

'And going by Quirrell's track record and his nerves of steel,' I said sarcastically.

'It'll be gone by next Tuesday,' said Ron.

With this new development, I could no longer deny something was going on. The fact that Snape was now threatening another teacher meant that maybe our suspicions were not as unfounded as I had originally thought. I just didn't think a teacher could really sink that low and do something that disgraceful. I guess I was wrong.

Quirrell managed to hold out a lot longer than we thought. In the following weeks he was still seen in the corridors between classes and in the Great Hall at mealtimes, which was reassuring even if he was looking much paler and thinner than usual. The fact that he was still here though meant he hadn't cracked just yet. That and the usual sight of Snape sweeping down the corridors looking as unpleasant as usual implied that he still hadn't got what he'd wanted. As for Fluffy, every time we passed the third floor we would press our ears to the door just to check he was still inside. The low rumbling growl was enough of an indication.

There was a slightly more pressing matter on Hermione's mind though: exams. With only ten weeks left, according to Hermione, we had to start revising as soon as possible. She already had begun to draw up revision tables for the four of us, and colour-coding all her notes from our different classes while badgering us to do the same with our own. Unfortunately the teachers seem to have the same idea. The amount of homework they set almost doubled by the time the Easter holidays came and so even Hermione and I decided to stay at Hogwarts during them so we could keep up with the work. Spending our free time in the library with her proved to be more annoying than productive, having to listen to her mutter things under her breath constantly and duck as she waved her wand too close to your face.

'I'll never remember this,' said Ron one afternoon. We were in the library again for what must have been the third time this week. 'Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?'

I looked up from my essay to see Hagrid come shuffling out from between two bookcases. He had his arms behind his back, which I presumed was due to the lack of space in here for him.

'Jus' lookin',' he said. There was an odd tone to his voice. 'An' what're you lot up ter?' He eyed us suspiciously. 'Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?'

'We're doing homework,' I said. I held up my essay on Dittany I'd been working on for our next Potions class.

'Yeah, we found out who he is ages ago,' said Ron. ' _And_ we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St–'

' _Shhhh!_ ' hissed Hagrid. He glanced around nervously in case someone had overheard. 'Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?'

'There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact,' said Harry, 'about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy –'

'SHHHH!' said Hagrid again. He then frowned at us. 'Listen – come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh –'

'We won't,' I said. I gave Harry and Ron a pointed look.

'See you later, then,' said Harry and Hagrid shuffled off.

'What was he hiding behind his back?' asked Hermione.

'He was hiding something?' I asked. 'I thought he just couldn't fit in here.'

'Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?' asked Harry.

'I'm going to see what section he was in.' and Ron disappeared to where Hagrid had come from. He came back a moment later with a pile of books in his arms and dumped them right on top of the table. I only just pulled my essay out the way in time. ' _Dragons!_ ' he whispered. 'Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons!'

Dragons were one creature I still couldn't quite get my head around the fact they actually existed. When I read through my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ and got to the bit about dragons my jaw dropped when I read how many breeds there were, not to mention they were rated XXXXX on the Ministry Classification according to the author. That was the worst rating possible making them extremely dangerous. You needed to be pretty brave to work with dragons that could basically incinerate you with a single breath, something I had to admit I admired Ron's brother Charlie for doing. I'd never have the nerve to face a dragon.

'Hagrid's always wanted a dragon,' said Harry, 'he told me so the first time I ever met him.'

'But it's against our laws,' said Ron. 'Dragon-breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden – anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania.'

'But there aren't wild dragons in _Britain_?' asked Harry.

'Of course there are,' said Ron. 'Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our lot have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget.'

'People have actually seen them?' I asked, astounded. Ron nodded. 'No wonder the Ministry tries to keep it quiet. I think I'd freak out if I was a Muggle and I saw a real live dragon flying over my house.'

'So what on earth's Hagrid up to?' asked Hermione.

An hour later, we returned to the Tower to get changed out of our school uniform before heading down to Hagrid's Hut. We hurried out the back of the castle and down the hill that led to his home. We could see a large curl of smoke issuing from its small chimney as we approached it. For some reason Hagrid had the curtains drawn and when we knocked on the door, he asked who was there before ushering us inside and quickly closing the door behind us. The moment we walked inside we were hit by a wave of heat that was incredibly unpleasant in such a confined space. Hagrid had a fire blazing in the grate. We took a seat at the table as he poured some tea and offered us some sandwiches. We politely turned them down having a slightly more pressing matter in mind.

'We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy,' asked Harry.

'Please?' I added, seeing Hagrid's frown. Politeness always helped.

'O' course I can't,' said Hagrid. 'Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all?' We nodded. 'Like I said, beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy.'

'Oh, come on, Hagrid,' said Hermione, 'you might not want to tell us, but you _do_ know, you know everything that goes on round here.' Her tone was oddly flattering and I saw her bat her eyelids at Hagrid. Hagrid's beard twitched. It looked like he was trying not to smile. 'We only wondered who had _done_ the guarding, really. We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you.'

Hagrid was almost grinning now. I had to hand it to Hermione. She was good.

'Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that … let's see … he borrowed Fluffy from me … then some o' the teachers did enchantments … Professor Sprout – Professor Flitwick – Professor McGonagall –' Hagrid was listing the teachers off one by one, 'Professor Quirrell – an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape.'

' _Snape?_ ' burst Harry.

'Yeah – yer not still on abou' that, are yeh?' asked Hagrid. 'Look, Snape helped _protect_ the Stone, he's not about ter steal it.'

The four of us shared a look. If Snape had helped protect the Stone then there was a chance he already knew most of the other spells and enchantments that were placed there by the other teachers and Professor Quirrell was one of the last ones he needed, the other being how to get past Fluffy.

'You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?' asked Harry. 'And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?'

'Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore,' said Hagrid.

That was at least some good news. If no one else knew how to get past Fluffy then the Stone was still safe.

By now the heat in the Hut was unbearable and Harry asked if Hagrid could open a window. Hagrid refused, his eyes quickly darting to the fire. We looked at it too. In amongst the haze of the flames I could just make out a round black object sitting underneath the kettle. It looked almost like an egg. Ron got up and went over to the fireplace to get a better look. His eyes widened when he confirmed what it was.

'Where did you get it, Hagrid?' he asked. 'It must've cost you a fortune.'

'Won it,' said Hagrid. 'Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter be rid of it, ter be honest.'

I think anyone would be, considering what was sitting in Hagrid's fire was a dragon egg. It certainly explained why he'd been looking at dragon books in the library. But how exactly did Hagrid plan on keeping a dragon? He lived in a wooden Hut for starters. It would torch the place. And more importantly, dragons could grow up to sixty feet in length at their longest. Someone was bound to notice a sixty foot dragon sticking out the windows eventually.

'But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?' asked Hermione.

'Well, I've been doin' some readin',' said Hagrid. He got up and pulled a book out from under his pillow. 'Got this outta the library – _Dragon-Breeding for Pleasure and Profit_ – it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here – how ter recognise diff'rent eggs – what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them.'

This wasn't good. We left shortly afterwards when Hagrid began stocking the fire and adding more kindling to it to keep it going. He refused to listen to any of our reasons why it would be bad to keep the dragon and so we gave up for now. That and the fact we were all about to pass out from the heat.

It was a little over a week later that we received a note from Hagrid about the dragon. We had been sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table away from the other students when we received his note at breakfast. Sure, he wanted us to stay out of a dangerous situation going on in the school but was more than happy to have us witness the birth and be near to a fire-breathing dragon, one of the most dangerous creatures in the wizarding world. A bit hypocritical, wasn't it? Ron seemed to be the only one of the four of us who was actually eager to go see it.

'It's hatching now,' he said, staring at Hermione. 'Herbology is always so chaotic, Professor Sprout won't even notice we aren't there.'

'We are not skipping class, Ronald,' said Hermione firmly.

'Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?' argued Ron.

'How many times in our lives are we going to get to have our fingers burnt off,' I muttered, mocking him.

'We've got lessons,' snapped Hermione. 'We'll get into trouble, and that's nothing compared to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing –'

'Shut up!' hissed Harry suddenly.

He nodded his head in the direction of the doors to the Great Hall. I looked round Ron to see Malfoy standing by the doors. He was staring at us, a narrowed look in his eyes. Taking Harry's hint we fell silent in case Malfoy had been listening in. After a minute or so, Malfoy walked off.

'That was close,' I said. I finished my cereal then grabbed my bag. 'Either way, we need to get to class.'

'But the dragon!' moaned Ron quietly.

'No, Ronald!' said Hermione.

Ron moaned like this the entire way through class, quietly badgering the three of us until Hermione finally gave in and agreed to us going down to Hogwarts during morning break. When the bell rang at the end of class, we gathered our stuff and ran out of the greenhouses. We ran as quick as we could round the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest until we were at Hagrid's Hut. We banged on the door until Hagrid appeared, flushed and excited, and pulled us inside.

'It's nearly out,' he said eagerly.

The dragon egg was sitting in the middle of the table. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I each took a seat around it. I peered cautiously at the egg. There were large cracks in the shell and it was shaking ominously. I could just hear a strange clicking coming from inside it. The clicking increased, slowly changing into a wild scraping sound. The egg gave a violent shake and all of a sudden it split open. We ducked as the thick dragon shell exploded into tiny pieces of shrapnel and splintered on to the table. In the middle of what was left lay a slimy black lizard the size of one of Hagrid's plates. It flexed its shoulders and stretched out its wings revealing its skinny black body and ridged spine. Outstretched, its wingspan made it almost the size of Hagrid's tabletop. It flared its nostrils, looking at us all with huge orange eyes. I had to admit, in a strange way it did look kind of cute.

'Isn't he beautiful,' gasped Hagrid. The dragon looked at him. 'Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!' He reached out his hand and gently stroked the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers before letting out a strange hiccough. A small jet of sparks came out of its long snout, setting Hagrid's beard alight. We jumped. Hagrid frantically patted his smouldering beard. 'Well, he'll have ter be trained up a bit, o' course.'

'Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?' asked Hermione.

'Well, as a matter o' fact –'

Hagrid's face suddenly turned white and he stopped talking. Next minute he was on his feet and was running for the window.

'Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains – it's a kid – he's running back up ter the school.'

The four of ran to the other window to have a look. There was no mistaking that white blonde streak of hair.

Malfoy knew about the dragon.

When we saw Malfoy later that day at dinner, there was something about the smirk on his face that I found distinctly unsettling. He was with Crabbe and Goyle as usual but they weren't talking, mainly because the two larger boys were too busy stuffing their faces. When he noticed the four of us watching him from across the Hall, he gave his eyebrows a tiny lift before turning away.

'This isn't good,' I whispered to the others. 'If Malfoy knows about the dragon, he could go to Snape at any moment. Hagrid could lose his job for this.'

'Hagrid won't listen to us though,' said Harry. 'Owning a dragon has been something he's always wanted to do, he's not going to give it up just like that.'

'But he can't keep it,' said Hermione. In front of her, she had my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ and was reading through the passage about Norwegian Ridgebacks. 'It says here they are one of the most aggressive types of dragon and will eat both land mammals and water dwelling creatures. In a matter of months it'll be able to breathe fire and so could easily set something in Hagrid's Hut alight.'

'What do you want us to do then?' asked Ron. 'We can't just tell him to give it up.'

'We're going to have to,' said Harry.

Unfortunately convincing Hagrid was no easy task. He was completely enamoured by that dragon. Whenever we went down to his Hut, he'd be busy cooing over it while spoon-feeding it helpings of brandy and blood. It had already grown almost three times its size in less than a week and was now about the same size as Fang. It had smoke coming from its nostrils every time it took a breath. It was taking up all of Hagrid's time meaning his actual duties were being neglected. Even his Hut was a mess. There were empty bottles of brandy everywhere and chicken feathers scattered all over the floor. That wasn't including all the singe marks over the curtains and Hagrid's bed.

We tried to get Hagrid to see sense and release it but he wouldn't listen. What was worse, he'd named the dragon.

'I've decided to call him Norbert,' said Hagrid proudly. It was like watching a misty-eyed father adoring his son. A son that could set you on fire.

'Norbert?' I repeated. What sort of name was that for a dragon? Then again, Hagrid did call a three-headed dog Fluffy. 'That's not very … dragon-y.'

'Well, he's got ter have a name, don' he?' said Hagrid. 'He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?'

Norbert let out a small snarl, a plume of smoke billowing from its nose.

'He's lost his marbles,' muttered Ron.

'Hagrid, give it a fortnight and Norbert's going to be as long as your house,' said Harry. 'Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment.'

'I – I know I can't keep him forever,' said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with a blackened oven glove. 'But I can't jus' dump him, I can't.'

We sat in silence as we tried to come up with a solution. There had to be something we could do that we hadn't thought of yet. Then, Harry suddenly turned to Ron.

'Charlie!'

'You're losing it, too. I'm Ron, remember?'

'No – Charlie – your brother Charlie,' said Harry. 'In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!'

'Brilliant!' said Ron. 'How about it, Hagrid?'

It took a lot of persuading but eventually we got Hagrid to come round to the idea and he agreed to let us send an Owl to Charlie to see if he could take Norbert.

The wait for Charlie's reply was agonising. Norbert was growing bigger every day and was getting harder for Hagrid to keep hidden in his Hut. What was worse was Hagrid had asked us to help feed him now he had been moved on to solid foods. None of us wanted to do so. Who would willingly volunteer to potentially have their hand bitten off while feeding a dragon? Using a Muggle method (to Ron's confusion) called "Rock, Paper, Scissors", we decided who was to do it. Unfortunately, Ron and I lost so on Wednesday night, Ron and I snuck down to Hagrid's Hut after dinner with Harry's Invisibility Cloak to help give Norbert his.

Norbert was now the size of a horse. It took up all the space available in Hagrid's kitchen, squatting with its wings curled up in Hagrid's chair. Fang was cowering beside Hagrid's bed. Handing us each a bucket, Hagrid told us to stand by the table and hold out the dead rats for Norbert to take. He demonstrated. Norbert raised its head and sniffed at the dead rat in Hagrid's hand. With a sharp snap of its jaws Norbert snatched it from Hagrid's hand. I cringed at the sound of bones being crushed in Norbert's mouth. One at a time the three of us attempted to feed Norbert. I snatched my hand back each time it took the rat from me. It got through the three buckets we had and another two before it looked like Norbert was satisfied. Ron reached into the bucket and picked up the last rat. He went to give it to Norbert –

'OUCH!'

Ron sprang back from Norbert clutching his hand. He let out several curse words as he hopped about in pain, letting out a second yell when he banged his knee on Hagrid's chair.

'Ron!' said Hagrid reproachfully. 'Not so loud. You'll scare Norbert.'

'Scare him?' snapped Ron. 'That thing just bit me.'

'Codswallop,' said Hagrid. He was standing in between Norbert and where Ron was crouching beside me. He had his hand outstretched to Norbert who was making growling noises in the corner. 'He was only being friendly.'

Ron glared at the back of Hagrid's head.

'Here, let me have a look,' I said.

I crouched down next to Ron and took his hand. I turned it over to see two deep fang marks in the thumb joint. It was bleeding quite badly but it didn't look like there was going to be any lasting damage. I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and tied it tightly around the wound. Behind us, Hagrid had started singing Norbert a lullaby and was waving a teddy bear in front of its face. I guess he thought he was playing with it; I think the look in Norbert's eye was saying he wanted to kill it. With Norbert content, Ron and I left under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. We snuck unnoticed back through the castle until we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Uncloaking ourselves we went inside, finding Harry and Hermione in our favourite seats.

'How did it go?' asked Harry when they saw us.

'How d'you think it went?' grumbled Ron. He thrust out his injured hand. My handkerchief was almost completely bloodstained now. 'It bit me! I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it.'

'Well, you did make a lot of noise when you banged your knee on the chair,' I said. Ron glared at me.

'And when we left, he was singing it a lullaby.'

Our conversation was interrupted when we heard a tap at the window. Harry turned round in his chair to see what it was.

'It's Hedwig!' he said. 'She'll have Charlie's answer.'

Hedwig flew inside as soon as Harry let her in. He took the letter from her and gave her one of the Owl Treats I kept in my pocket. She hooted gratefully then flew off with it in her beak. Harry laid out the letter so we could all see Charlie's reply.

 _Dear Ron  
_

 _How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take  
_ _the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting  
_ _him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over  
_ _with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me  
_ _next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying  
_ _an illegal dragon._

 _Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at  
_ _midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and  
_ _take him away while it's still dark._

 _Send me an answer as soon as possible.  
_ _Love,  
_ _Charlie_

'How are we meant to get a dragon through the castle and up to the Astronomy Tower?' I asked. 'And at midnight. Someone in bound to see us.'

'We've got the Invisibility Cloak,' said Harry. 'It shouldn't be too difficult – I think the Cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert.'

Considering how bad the last week had been, anything that meant we got rid of Norbert – and Malfoy's knowing smirks – had to be a better idea then letting Hagrid get caught.

Even with the plan to get Norbert out of here, things only got worse for us. The next day Ron's hand had swollen up to twice its normal size and by the afternoon, the bite itself had turned a nasty shade of green. Judging by the puss that was starting to ooze from the teeth marks it looked like Norbert's fangs were possibly poisonous. Ron was so dizzy when we headed up the Marble Staircase after lunch he had no choice but to go to the Hospital Wing and face Madam Pomfrey's questioning. He missed the rest of our classes for the day. When Harry, Hermione and I finally got a chance to visit him, we found him lying in bed in a very bad way with his hand and fingers fully bandaged.

'How are you feeling?' asked Hermione.

'I'm OK,' swallowed Ron. He let out a small moan. 'But it's not just my hand although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me – I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes me – I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this.'

'Calm down,' I said. 'Madam Pomfrey might hear you.'

'We're meeting Charlie friends soon, Ron,' said Hermione. 'In a few days, Norbert will be locked up and taken away by Charlie's friends and Malfoy won't be able to threaten to tell on us once he's gone. It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday.'

We thought this might reassure Ron. Instead he bolted up in his bed.

'Midnight on Saturday!' he wheezed, slumping back down again. 'Oh no – oh no – I've just remembered – Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert.'

Before we could say anything, Ron's outburst had attracted Madam Pomfrey's attention and she'd shooed us out of the room.

'It's too late to change the plan now,' Harry whispered to Hermione and me. We were making an emergency trip down to Hagrid's to let him know Malfoy had found out our plan. 'We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we _have_ got the Invisibility Cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that.'

'That's about the one good thing about this entire situation,' I said. 'We've still got to get that thing to the Astronomy Tower without getting caught.'

We ran the last few metres down the hill towards Hagrid's Hut. Fang was lying outside by Hagrid's vegetable patch; his head slumped on his front paws. His tail had a bandage on it. We banged on the door. Hagrid didn't respond. Instead, his head appeared through a window he opened so he could talk to us.

'I won't let you in,' he puffed. 'Norbert's at a tricky stage – nothin' I can't handle.'

The three of us jumped when we heard a roar come from inside the Hut.

'Hagrid, you've got to listen to us,' said Harry. 'Malfoy knows about our plan to move Norbert.'

'He got a hold of the letter Ron had from Charlie about the plan,' I explained. 'Ron was almost passed out in the Hospital Wing when he managed to trick Madam Pomfrey into getting a book from Ron which had the letter inside it. He knows we're moving Norbert on Saturday.'

'Aargh!' Hagrid winced, his hand clenching the windowsill.

'Hagrid!' Hermione gasped.

'It's all right, he's only got my boot –' Hagrid said through clenched teeth. 'Jus' playin' – he's only a baby, after all.'

A loud bang rattled the windows.

'A baby playing, he says,' I muttered as we headed back to the castle. 'More like a toddler having a tantrum.'

Saturday night couldn't come soon enough.

Harry, Hermione and I spent the entirety of Saturday hidden in the library trying to work out the best way to get Norbert from Hagrid's to the Astronomy Tower. With the knowledge that Norbert would be in some sort of crate, we concluded that there wouldn't be enough room for Norbert and the three of us underneath Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Then there was the problem of getting into the Astronomy Tower. All the Towers in the school were normally locked after curfew and so somehow we needed to get the door unlocked so that we could get in to get to the platform.

'I might be able to help there,' I said in a low whisper. From my hair I pulled out a hairpin. 'Filch is the one who locks all the classrooms after classes finish but he never seems to use a wand to do so. He uses those keys that he has attached to his belt beneath his coat which means that using magic to unlock the doors would be pointless.'

'You can pick locks?' asked Hermione. I nodded.

'I learnt it at the orphanage,' I replied. 'I got stuck outside one night after curfew and so to avoid it happening again, I taught myself how to pick locks with a hairpin so I could let myself in.'

'Does your uncle know what you got up to at that orphanage?' asked Harry.

'He saw my file,' I shrugged, 'so I guess he's aware I was a troublemaker. He just doesn't know all the things that Matron didn't know, like the lock picking.'

Hermione raised her eyebrow.

'It's a long story.'

'OK, so – Jenna, you will wait out of sight near to the Astronomy Tower while Hermione and I go down to Hagrid's to get Norbert,' said Harry. 'Once you've seen Filch lock the door and he's gone, you go and unlock the door then wait inside the Tower until we get there. That way you'll be there to help us get Norbert up the stairs to the top platform. Hermione and I will get Norbert and, under the Invisibility Cloak, we'll make our way through the castle as quick as we can before Charlie's friends get here. We'll meet them on the Tower platform, hand Norbert over to them, and get out of there before we get caught.'

At half past eight that night, Harry, Hermione and I left the common room under the pretence we were heading to the library to do some last minute homework to avoid any questions from the other students, in particular from Ron's brother, Percy. Once out of the portrait hole, we hid in a nearby corridor where Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Hermione while I kept watch. I checked the coast was clear for them then wished them luck and we separated. I ran in the opposite direction to the Tower and took the long way round to the Astronomy Tower. I had to be careful. The Prefects would be patrolling the corridors soon and if I got caught our plan would be in jeopardy.

I hid behind a pillar at the end of the corridor and looked round the corner. I could hear footsteps nearby. The Astronomy Tower was two corridors away and it was already quarter to nine. Filch would have gotten to at least the sixth floor by now. Just ahead of me I saw a Prefect. Quickly I darted into the corridor and hid behind a nearby stone bust of a famous wizard I didn't know. I crouched down as the Prefect got closer. It was then I felt a breeze; looking to my left I saw there was a tapestry hanging on the wall. I could feel a cold breeze coming from behind it. I pulled back the tapestry just enough to find a small archway hidden behind it. It looked like a passageway of some sorts. Checking I wouldn't be seen, I quickly disappeared behind it. I waited and listened. I heard the Prefect's footsteps walk past and disappear into the distance. I pushed back the tapestry to see if he was gone. Once he had walked off, I ran down the corridor and into the next.

I reached the Astronomy Tower just in time. Hiding round the corner from it, I heard the familiar wheezing of Filch as he limped down the corridor. I looked round the wall and watched as he used his bunch of keys to lock the door before hobbling off back the way he came. I gave it a couple of minutes before I came out from hiding so I could make sure he was gone. I ran over to the door and crouched in front of the lock.

From my hair I pulled out my hairpin and from my pocket I took out an old paperclip that was already bent into a right angle at the end. I found it weird that wizards didn't use paperclips when they were so useful. Checking once again that I was alone I bent the end of my hairpin and stuck it into the lock. I then inserted the paperclip and began to twist it. It wasn't easy. I was used to picking Muggle locks with modern keys; this lock was old and a very different design to what I knew. I wiggled the paperclip back and forth for a few minutes until finally I heard a click. I pulled out the pins and opened the door, slipping inside the Tower then pulling the door shut behind me. I was just in time too. I'd heard voices coming from the entrance to the corridor and they sounded angry.

'Detention!'

I pushed open the door enough to see Professor McGonagall storming down the corridor wearing a tartan dressing gown and her hair up in a hairnet, dragging a protesting Malfoy by the ear with her.

'And twenty points from Slytherin!'

'You don't understand, Professor,' complained Malfoy. 'Harry Potter's coming – he's got a dragon!'

'What utter rubbish!' snapped Professor McGonagall. 'How dare you tell such lies! Come on – I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!'

They disappeared. I felt a rush of joy after witnessing that. Malfoy had got in trouble for trying to catch us out and Professor McGonagall didn't even believe him! I leant against the closed door, grinning broadly at what I'd just seen. I heard a knock. I opened the door and felt something brush past me. Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak off himself. He was grinning too, having also seen Malfoy get in trouble. We weren't in the clear yet though so the three of us picked the crate back up and started up the Tower. The staircase was steep and twisting but after a few minutes or so we got to the Tower platform and opened the door to it. We struggled inside, put down the crate in the middle of the platform and threw the Cloak off it. Hermione was beaming as much as Harry had been. She even did a little dance of some sorts.

'Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!'

'Don't,' Harry advised her. 'We're not in the clear yet.'

'How long have we got?' I asked. Harry looked at his watch.

'Ten minutes or so,' he said. 'They'll be here soon.'

The sight of Charlie's friends was one for sore eyes. They swooped down from the dark sky and landed on the platform. The greeted us cheerfully before showing us the harness they had rigged in order to carry Norbert's crate to Romania suspended between the four brooms. Together we helped clip it to the crate. They shook our hands and mounted their brooms again. Harry, Hermione and I stood back and watched as they took off into the night, five black dots in the moonlight. Norbert was finally gone.

We slipped back down the staircase and back out the Tower door. It clicked shut behind us having had its lock reset by me beforehand. We were all indescribably happy. Norbert was gone. Malfoy had detention. What could go wrong? We turned round to head back to the Tower –

'Well, well, well,' said Filch, his face just illuminated in the darkness, 'we _are_ in trouble.'

We'd left the Invisibility Cloak on the Astronomy Tower platform.

This was the worst trouble I'd ever been in in all my life. Harry, Hermione and I followed Filch with our eyes on the floor as he marched us to Professor McGonagall's office. I felt physically sick at the thought of what Lupin would say when he eventually would find out about this. There was no explanation we could give to get us out of this. Filch opened the door and we went inside. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of her desk, a disgusted look on her face. To our surprise, Neville was also there for some reason. He started to say something to us but Harry quickly shook his head to silence him. Professor McGonagall saw this.

'I would never have believed it of any of you,' said Professor McGonagall sharply. Her eyes stared at each of us in turn, sharp and piercing behind her square spectacles. 'Mr Filch says you were up the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves_.'

There was one problem: none of us could. Even Hermione had no answer to Professor McGonagall's question.

'I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on,' continued Professor McGonagall. I'd never heard her voice sound so stern before. 'It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?'

I glanced at Neville out the corner of my eye. He looked devastated at the idea we'd tricked him.

'I am disgusted,' snapped Professor McGonagall. 'Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. Miss Black, I hope this is not the start of you following in your father's footsteps.' I shrank away from her at that, not knowing what she meant but it can't have been good. 'As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions – yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, _nothing_ gives you the right to walk around the school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous – and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor.'

' _Fifty?_ ' gasped Harry.

'Fifty points _each_ ,' confirmed Professor McGonagall. My mouth fell open. We'd just lost two hundred points and the lead that the last Quidditch match had won us.

'Professor – please –'

'We didn't mean –'

'You _can't_ –'

'Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter,' snapped Professor McGonagall. 'Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students.'

It didn't long for the rest of Gryffindor to find out about what happened. The next morning when Harry, Hermione and I got down to breakfast we saw a group of Gryffindors gathered around the Hourglasses in the Entrance Hall that recorded the House points. We could hear them muttering, asking each other why Gryffindor had suddenly lost so many points and were now in last place. It took barely a day for the story to spread that Harry Potter and some other stupid first-years had been the ones responsible. Harry had gone from being Gryffindor's hero to its culprit, the person responsible for their downfall. Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws turned on him as they had all been waiting for the day Slytherin would lose the House Cup for the first time in six years. To make matters worse, the Slytherins were actually thanking him as they passed, cheering and whooping their delight in Harry's mistake.

As for Hermione, Neville and I, we got our fair share of glares and hisses from the other students. We were just lucky that, because we weren't as well known, we weren't who the looks were mainly focused on. It didn't stop Neville whimpering every time someone glared at him in the corridor. He had taken to hiding in bathrooms during break and lunch though. Hermione meanwhile had stopped drawing attention to herself completely in class. Now she just sat with her head down and got on with her work in silence. As for me, with the worry of what Lupin would do when he found out what I'd done, I kept a low profile and focused on our upcoming exams.

Only Ron, and Hermione and I of course, stood by him.

'They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them.'

'They've never lost two hundred points in one go, though, have they?' said Harry miserably.

'Well – no,' muttered Ron.

If anything good came out of this, it was that Harry finally seemed to get it into his head that meddling in other people's affairs was a bad idea.

Exams were merely a week away. Since the incident the night we got rid of Norbert, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I buried ourselves in revision for our exams. We went through every essay, every book passage, every note we'd made throughout the year in the hopes we didn't miss anything that could potentially be on our exams. Hermione's attention to detail and organisation ended up paying off and the revision timetables she drew up for us proved to be an asset in making sure we covered everything. Even spending hours in the library at a time didn't bother us as it meant we focused and weren't distracted by outside influences.

We almost made it all the way to our exams without getting involved in anything else we shouldn't. Unfortunately our efforts were compromised on Tuesday night when Harry was on his way back to the Tower. He'd left Ron, Hermione and I in the library going through our Astronomy charts but returned barely twenty minutes later looking worried about something. We asked him what was bothering him and the answer we got wasn't one we wanted to hear.

'I was heading back to the Tower when I heard something coming from an empty classroom,' he told us. 'It sounded like someone was being threatened. A few minutes later Quirrell ran out of the classroom looking like he was about to cry. When I checked the classroom, no one else was there but I can bet Snape had been the one threatening him.'

'Snape's done it, then!' said Ron. 'If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell –'

'There's still Fluffy, though,' said Hermione.

'Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid,' said Ron. He glanced around the library. 'I bet there's a book somewhere in here, telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?'

'Go to Dumbledore,' said Hermione immediately. 'That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure.'

'What good will that do us?' I asked. 'We can't just walk up to Dumbledore and admit to him everything we know.'

'Exactly, we've got no _proof_!' said Harry. 'Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Hallowe'en and that he was nowhere near the third floor – who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining.'

I was on the side of do nothing. Hermione seemed to agree, as did Harry. Ron, however, wasn't willing to just let it go.

'If we just do a bit of poking around –'

'Ron, we can't!' I protested. 'Why get in even more trouble than we already are in? I don't know about you but I think I can safely say the rest of us want to stay on the good side of Professor McGonagall for the rest of the year. Losing two hundred points in one go – I'd like to stay out of trouble.'

'Just a little –'

'No,' said Harry, 'we've done enough poking around.'

Ron went to argue but Harry had already pulled a map of Jupiter towards him to mark the end of the conversation.

My desire to stay out of trouble for the rest of the school year didn't seem to be an option I had. The following day after finding out about what had happened to Quirrell, Harry, Hermione and I each received a note at breakfast. Just up from us, Neville received one as well. They all said the same thing:

 _Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet  
_ _Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall._

 _Prof. M. McGonagall_

A part of me had hoped that Professor McGonagall had forgotten about our detentions but I knew that was unlikely. The three of us knew not to complain though, despite the detention eating into the time Hermione had set aside for us to look over our Herbology notes again. We all knew we deserved it so what was the point in arguing? Reluctantly though, at quarter to eleven we said goodbye to Ron and left the common room. Neville didn't say a word to us the entire way down to the Entrance Hall. Filch was already there when we arrived as was Malfoy. I guess he was having a detention with us too.

'Follow me,' grunted Filch. He lit the lamp in his hand then proceeded to lead us out into the grounds 'I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?' There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice. 'Oh yes … hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me … It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out … hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed … Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do.'

It sounded like Filch was almost enjoying this.

The grounds were dark as we walked through them. We walked around the perimeter of the castle in silence, apart from the occasional sniff coming from Neville. Every so often the moon would illuminate the grounds when it came out from behind the clouds before being hidden again a few minutes later. In these brief moments I saw that we were heading towards Hagrid's Hut. I could just make out his silhouette in the distance. It looked like our detention was going to be with him.

'Is that you, Filch?' we heard him call out. 'Hurry up, I want ter get started.'

'A sorry lot you've got here, Hagrid,' called Filch. He looked at us, his eyes narrowing on Harry. 'I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?' he said quietly to us. 'Well, think again, boy – it's into the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece.'

I swallowed. Neville let out a faint moan. Even Malfoy looked worried.

'The Forest?' he repeated. His voice didn't have the same confidence as it usually had. 'We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things in there – werewolves, I've heard.'

I frowned. I knew werewolves had a bad reputation but that wasn't fair on their human part.

'That's your lookout, isn't it?' chucked Filch maliciously. 'Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?'

Hagrid strode over to us with Fang at his heels. In his hand he had a large crossbow. What was he going to do with that?

'Abou' time,' he said. 'I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, Jenna?'

'I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid,' grunted Filch, 'they're here to be punished, after all.'

'That's why yer late, is it?' said Hagrid. He glared at Filch. 'Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here.'

'I'll be back at dawn,' said Filch, 'for what's left of them,' he added nastily. He turned and hobbled away, his lamp swinging after him.

With Filch gone, Malfoy immediately started complaining.

'I'm not going in that Forest,' he said.

'Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts,' said Hagrid fiercely before Malfoy could object anymore. 'Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it.'

'But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do,' Malfoy complained. 'I thought I'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd –'

'– tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts,' growled Hagrid. Malfoy flinched at Hagrid's tone. 'Writin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yer think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!'

Malfoy didn't move. All he could muster was a glare before he dropped his gaze to the ground. Hagrid let out a huff.

'Right then,' he continued, 'now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment.'

Hagrid took hold of a lamp that was sitting on his doorstep and signalled us to follow. He held it up so a footpath leading into the Forest was illuminated in its yellow glow. The dark trees looked oddly more threatening in the lamplight. A breeze flowed through their branches and out towards us, ruffling our hair. Hagrid pointed at something. I squinted so as to see what it was. Something was reflecting Hagrid's lamplight.

'Look there,' said Hagrid, 'see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt bad by summat. This is the second time this week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery.'

'And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?' asked Malfoy. The fear was now very evident in his voice. Although I was scared myself, I was kind of glad to see Malfoy was shaking.

'There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang,' said Hagrid, brushing off Malfoy's whining. 'An' keep ter the path. Right, now we're gonna split unter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least.'

'I want Fang,' said Malfoy quickly.

'All right,' grunted Hagrid, 'but I warn yeh, he's a bloody coward.' The large dog tilted its head in confusion at hearing his name, looking sappily up at us. Malfoy's face fell. I held in a snigger. 'So me, Harry an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, Jenna an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practise now –'

We had been taught basic spark Spells very early on in Charms. They were some of the easiest spells to learn and were one of the first I managed to do properly. I took my wand out of my robe pocket and held it up above me like the others.

' _Verdimillious_ ,' I said confidently. I couldn't stop my voice from shaking though.

Several green sparks like fireworks shot into the air above us.

'– that's it – an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an we'll all come an find yeh – so, be careful – let's go.'

The Forest seemed much larger when we entered it. We followed Hagrid a short distance up the footpath before it forked and split in two directions. I gave Harry and Hermione a slightly pleading look when Hagrid told us to separate then reluctantly traipsed after Malfoy. We took the right fork, Hagrid and the others taking the left. Malfoy held up the lamp Hagrid had given us as we walked along. Twigs and leaves on the ground rustled beneath our feet while the breeze seemed to almost whistle through the branches. Every so often I saw another small puddle of unicorn blood. We followed it as closely as we could without straying from the path too far.

Behind me I could feel Neville lightly gripping the back of my robe to the point it was almost annoying. He was quietly whimpering the further in we went. I understood he was scared, I was scared too, but this was our punishment and we had to see it through.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since Hagrid had left us with Harry and Hermione. Neville was still whimpering though and Malfoy was getting restless. Fang merely trotted along beside us none the wiser.

'The blood seems to have stopped,' I said quietly. It was probably wise to keep our voices low. 'Maybe we should –'

 _CRACK!_

Neville screamed. Fang let out a yelp. Neville leapt forwards and crashed into me and the two of us fell to the ground. Without knowing what it was, I pointed my wand into the air and shouted, ' _Periculum!_ '. It was only after the red sparks had burst from my wand that I realised what had happened.

Illuminated by the sparks Malfoy was doubled-over clutching his sides as he laughed his head off. He must have been responsible for that noise. It was probably a Cracker Jinx judging by the sound of it. I pushed a shaking Neville off me and stood up.

'What on earth are you playing at?' I snapped at him. Hagrid was bound to have seen the sparks by now and was probably looking for us. 'Hagrid's going to think we're in danger. We were only meant to send up red sparks if we were in trouble, not because you decided to play a trick on us.'

'Longbottom deserved it,' sneered Malfoy joyfully. 'He's a wimp.'

'You weren't so brave yourself when you found out we were coming in here,' I retorted. 'I distinctly remember your voice shaking more than anyone else's when you asked about the monster hurting the unicorns.'

'I'm not scared,' sneered Malfoy.

We glared at each other. Stupid Malfoy, playing immature pranks that could have easily gotten one of us hurt. A loud crunching noise came through the trees. Fang barked when Hagrid appeared from behind a large trunk. He had his crossbow raised ready for whatever he thought had been attacking us.

'Are yer all righ'?' he asked us. 'What happened?'

'Malfoy cast a Cracker Jinx to try and scare Neville,' I said. Neville nodded his head vigorously to confirm it. 'He made us jump and I sent up the red sparks as I didn't know what the noise was until I saw him laughing.'

'Malfoy,' growled Hagrid. His beetle black eyes, which were almost invisible in the dark if it weren't for our lamp, glinted with fury. Malfoy gulped. 'Yeh stupid boy. Yeh could o' caused an accident. Follow me, the three of yer, now!'

We followed Hagrid back the way he'd come. Neville was walking very closely behind him, glad to be back in his protection. I walked silently behind them with Malfoy sloping along behind me. He still had a smirk on his face despite having been told off for his prank. We made our way through the trees until a second light came into view. We climbed over a large root, Hagrid taking a single step, and rejoined Harry and Hermione where they had been waiting for Hagrid to return.

'What happened?' asked Harry worriedly.

'Malfoy happened,' I replied bluntly.

'We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin,' grunted Hagrid. 'Right, we're changin' groups – Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry you go with Jenna, Fang, an' this idiot.' He nodded his head at Malfoy.

We separated for the second time. Harry and I walked ahead of Malfoy and Fang, deeper and deeper into the Forest. Slowly the footpath got wilder until it was almost non-existent beneath our feet. The trees were thicker and the foliage on the ground was getting harder to walk through. Half an hour must have past when we finally found some more blood. Lots of it in fact; several small puddles were formed on the ground and there were splashes on the trunks and roots of the trees. It looked like we were getting close. All of a sudden Harry threw out his arm to stop me.

'Look –' he whispered to me. He pointed ahead of us. My eyes followed.

In the darkness I could see a strange silvery glow. Harry held up the lamp so we could see whatever it was better. Something was lying still on the ground. It was the unicorn but we were too late. It was already dead. I gasped when I saw it. Even in death the unicorn was such a beautiful creature to see up close, it's coat shining white and hooves a bright gold at the end of its long legs.

Harry took a step towards it when he froze. In the silence I could hear a strange slithering noise. I looked around nervously for the source of where the noise was coming from. I needn't have bothered though. A bush in front of us rustled before something emerged from it. A tall hooded figure seemed to climb over it before crawling over the ground towards the dead unicorn. It looked like a beast hunting its prey. It didn't seem to notice us. Instead it leant down to the creature and put its mouth to the wound on its side and began to drink.

'AAAAAAAAAAARGH!'

Malfoy screamed and bolted. So did Fang, leaving Harry and I alone with the creature. The commotion drew its attention and it looked up from the unicorn straight at us. I shuddered when I saw the blood dripping from its mouth. The figure rose up, letting out a strange primal snarl, and started towards us. Harry, who for some reason had his hand on his forehead, and I stumbled backwards but we tripped over a large root behind us. I thought there and then that that was it, we were going to be killed, when a large shadow leapt over us from behind. I heard the thundering of hooves as it landed and turned. I watched as the centaur reared up on its hind legs and kicked at the black figure. The figure dodged the centaur's attacks and flew away. Only then did I feel how fast my heart was beating or that I was panting in shock.

'Are you all right?'

The centaur walked over to where Harry and I were on the ground. He held out a hand and pulled us both to our feet. Harry replied while I merely nodded as I stared at him. The centaur was strangely beautiful for a beast that was part man, part horse. His body was that of a palomino, an odd golden hue to it even in the darkness but not quite the same to that of a unicorn's hair, and he had almost white-blond tail and hair. The human half of him was young and lean, and he was watching us with a pair of astonishingly blue eyes that I think Lupin would say could rival my own.

'You are the Potter boy,' said the centaur. 'You had better get back to Hagrid. The Forest is not safe at this time – especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.' The centaur got down on his front legs so Harry and I could climb on to his back. Well this was another one for the list of things I didn't think I'd ever do: ride a centaur. I climbed on behind Harry and took hold of his waist as the centaur stood up. 'My name is Firenze,' he then added.

Suddenly the sound of more hooves echoed in the distance. I looked round to see two more centaurs come charging out of the bushes towards us.

'Firenze!' thundered the one at the front. This one was a larger than Firenze, and had a black body both horse and man and dark hair. He glared at the sight of us before him. 'What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?'

'Do you realise who this is?' countered Firenze, just as angrily. 'This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this Forest, the better.'

'What have you been telling him?' growled the black centaur. Beside him, the second centaur, with red hair and bronze body, pawed the ground. 'Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets.'

'I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best,' said the red-haired centaur. His voice was at least calmer than his companion's. It did nothing though and the black centaur reared, kicking his back legs.

'For the best!' he shouted. 'What is it to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our Forest!'

Without warning, Firenze reared. I screamed when he did, grabbing on to Harry so I didn't fall off who in turn had grabbed Firenze's shoulders. He let out a neigh-like shout, stomping his hooves threateningly at the other two centaurs.

'Do you not see that unicorn?' bellowed Firenze. 'Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this Forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must.'

Firenze reared a second time and galloped off away from Bane and the other centaur. He ran through the trees with speed, swiftly dodging between the trees with ease. I gripped on to Harry for the length of Firenze's run until he finally slowed again. He warned us to keep our heads down in case of low branches. He walked along in silence, ignoring Harry's question of why Bane was angry, before he stopped without warning in a dense patch of trees.

'Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?'

'No,' said Harry. It was a strange question to ask. 'We've only used the horn and tail-hair in Potions.'

'All we know is that it's a banned substance,' I added. 'The Ministry regulates the use of it.'

'That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn,' Firenze explained to us. 'Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.'

'That's horrible,' I breathed.

'But who'd be that desperate?' asked Harry. 'If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?'

'It is,' said Firenze, 'unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and power – something that will mean you can never die. Mr Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?'

Harry looked at me.

'The Philosopher's Stone!' he gasped. 'Of course – the Elixer of Life! But I don't understand who –'

'Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance.'

'Do you mean,' croaked Harry, 'that was _Vol_ –'

Despite not needing the answer, Firenze didn't get the chance to reply when we heard Hermione's shout. She came running down the path towards us with Hagrid puffing along behind her. Malfoy and Neville arrived just after them. We assured them that we were all right and that we'd found the unicorn lying dead in the Forest before Firenze let us get down odd his back. Firenze then bade us goodbye and wished Harry luck. He turned and cantered off back into the depths of the Forest, the chill of his words still present in my head and no doubt Harry's as well.

Someone who has waited a long time to regain his former power so that he could never die and get his revenge for his demise.

Voldemort was after the Philosopher's Stone.

'Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort …'

Ron, Hermione and I sat in the dark common room while Harry paced back and forth in front of us. The rest of the House was asleep and we were alone. Ron had fallen asleep while he waited for us to return and we had to shake him awake. With a shout about Quidditch, Ron woke up and we told him about what we had found out in the Forest.

'… and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest … and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich …'

'Stop saying the name!' said Ron. Harry had said the name several times while he'd been pacing, Ron flinching every time as he, Hermione and I watched. Harry wasn't listening.

'Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done … Bane was furious … he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen … They must show that Voldemort's coming back … Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me … I suppose that's written in the stars as well.'

' _Will you stop saying the name!_ ' hissed Ron a second time.

'So all I've got to wait for is Snape to steal the Stone,' continued Harry, 'then Voldermort will be able to come and finish me off … Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy.'

Ron, Hermione and I were silent when Harry finished. I didn't know what to say. I was scared. Someone we thought had been destroyed was alive and waiting in the Forest, biding his time while he waits for his servant to retrieve what he needs to ensure his return. This must have been how wizards everywhere felt when Voldemort was alive the first time round.

Hermione, who was looking as scared as I was, after a minute or so spoke.

'Who's the one wizard You-Know-Who always feared?' Harry stared at her blankly. 'Dumbledore! Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, Harry, you're safe. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic.'

It was almost morning by the time the four of us got to bed. We would only get a couple hours sleep before breakfast. As we walked up to our dormitory, I turned to Hermione.

'Do you think it's true?' I asked her quietly. 'Do you really think Voldemort's trying to come back?'

'I don't know,' admitted Hermione. 'But if he is, Harry's in danger.'

How I managed to concentrate on my exams with the knowledge that the Darkest wizard of all times was lurking in the Forbidden Forest at this very moment, I don't know. The weather alone was enough to distract you; it was so horribly hot in the classrooms compared to how it had been in the wintertime that our quills began to wilt from the heat. If it wasn't for Hermione's nagging, however, we probably wouldn't have got half as much revision done as we did, even with us still checking on Fluffy everyday. Despite this, a little voice in my head was still saying we were wrong about the whole thing, that there was no way Voldemort could be back. He was destroyed ten years ago and there had been no sign of him since, human or otherwise. How could he be back?

Our exams were split into two parts: there was a written paper and a practical overseen by the teachers of each subject. All the first-years from the four Houses were gathered for each exam in a large stuffy classroom on the first floor, which had enough rows of desks inside it to accommodate us all. Each desk had its own inkwell as well as a special quill for each student that, according to Hermione, had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating Spell. One of the teachers would oversee the exam, providing it wasn't their own subject, to keep an eye out for anyone attempting to cheat regardless of the quill. Being first-years, we were all too scared to do so anyway with the knowledge that if we didn't pass our first-year exams we wouldn't progress to the second-year. We'd sit for an hour in the classroom and answer questions on the subject in question, having to write as much as we could think of to answer each question in the somewhat short time we had.

Our practical exams were a little different. The teacher of that subject oversaw these and in each one they would test us on one or two particular spells or areas of magic we'd learnt throughout the year. One by one, the teacher called us into the classroom. As it was always done in alphabetical order, I was the second student in for each exam and so was one of the first to be finished. It was both nerve-wracking and quite relieving. Every exam was different. Professor Flitwick wanted us to make a pineapple tap dance; Professor McGonagall got us to change a mouse into a snuffbox, with extra points for how pretty the box was and minus points if it still had its tail or whiskers; for Professor Quirrell, we had to perform an accurate Curse of the Bogies Hex on a poor fifth-year student who'd obviously not known what he was volunteering for; while Professor Snape loomed over us threateningly as we attempted to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion.

Harry had it the worst out of all of us. While Ron, Hermione and I were obviously scared at the thought of Voldemort, the three of us kept reminding him that the Stone and he were safe as long as Dumbledore was in the castle. It didn't comfort Harry. He told us that his scar kept burning but he didn't know why. We told him to ignore it, that the pain would go away, but it didn't stop him continually rubbing it every chance he got.

Our exams were over within a week, our last being History of Magic on Friday afternoon. A whole hour answering essay questions on which wizard had invented which revolutionary piece of magical equipment and which famous wizard had been responsible for a wave of depression amongst witches when he recommended Augerys as an excellent weather forecaster. It was a long hour and I found myself getting distracted after every question by something in the classroom. When Professor Sprout finally said quills down I finished my last answer and gladly left the room with the rest of the year. With our last exam out of the way I thought that would be the end of any more mentioning of them. Unfortunately, Hermione liked to review each exam afterwards and this was no different.

'That was far easier than I thought it would be,' she said as we walked out into the grounds. 'I needn't have learnt about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager.'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I wandered down into the grounds and over towards the lake. At the water's edge there was a large beech tree standing on its own providing some shade in the otherwise vast sunny grounds, which we decided to sit under to blow off some steam. We abandoned our bags by its trunk then took a seat on the grass beneath it, dispensing of our outer robes in order to cool off. Ron stretched out and lay back while Hermione had already pulled out her History of Magic textbook to check her answers.

'No more revision,' sighed Ron beside me. 'You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet.'

Harry, however, was rubbing his forehead.

'Your scar's hurting again, isn't it?' I asked him.

'I wish I knew what this _means_!' he said angrily. 'My scar keeps hurting – it's happened before, but never as often as this.'

'Go to Madam Pomfrey,' suggested Hermione.

'I'm not ill,' said Harry. 'I think it's a warning … it means danger's coming …'

I frowned. Hermione sighed. Ron just lay there.

'Harry, relax,' he said lazily. 'Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid let's Dumbledore down.'

While Ron's statement was indeed true, Hagrid did have a penchant for letting information slip without meaning to. He'd done that enough times with us after all, always following it with "I shouldn'ta said that" when he did.

'Even so,' said Harry, 'the fact it keeps burning … maybe I've just forgotten something … something important …'

'That's just the exams,' said Hermione. 'I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one.'

'I know,' I said. 'You woke me up when you started mumbling about trying to switch your hairbrush for a toothbrush.'

'It could have come up, for all we knew,' said Hermione.

Harry fell silent. With the conversation over, I sat back and stared at the lake. It's water gently rippled at the lake's edge but was as still as glass nearer the middle. I enjoyed the feeling of the breeze on my face after a week of being cooped up in classrooms writing exams.

All of a sudden Harry jumped to his feet.

'Where are you going?' asked Ron. He'd blearily opened one eye having almost fallen asleep.

'I've just thought of something,' he said. I looked at him. Harry had gone very pale for some reason. 'We've got to go and see Hagrid, now.'

Harry grabbed his bag and ran off. Ron, Hermione and I looked at each other, then grabbed our own and chased after him.

'Why?' asked Hermione.

'Don't you think it's a bit odd,' said Harry, marching through the grounds and round to Hagrid's Hut, 'that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Luckily they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?'

'What are you on about?' asked Ron.

Harry didn't reply. Instead he sprinted off when Hagrid's Hut came into view. Hagrid was sat outside it in a large armchair just by his pumpkin patch. He had his sleeves rolled up and was busy shelling peas into a large bowl in front of him. He looked up when he heard us running over to him, a look of mild surprise on his face at our appearance.

'Hullo,' he said cheerfully. 'Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?'

'No, we're in a hurry, Hagrid,' said Harry. 'I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?'

'Dunno,' shrugged Hagrid. He shelled a couple more pods as he replied. 'He wouldn't take his cloak off.'

I raised my eyebrow. That was a bit odd, wasn't it? Hagrid looked at our confused faces.

'It's not that unusual,' he said, 'yeh get a lot o' funny fold in the Hog's Head – that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up.'

'What did you talk to him about, Hagrid?' persisted Harry. 'Did you mention Hogwarts at all?'

'Mighta come up,' said Hagrid. 'Yeah … he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here … He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after … so I told him … an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon … an' then … I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks … Let's see … yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted … but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home … So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy …'

'And did he – did he seem interested in Fluffy?'

'Well – yeah – how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep –'

A look of horror suddenly crossed Hagrid's face.

'I shouldn'ta told yeh that!' I said he always did that. 'Forget I said it! Hey – where're yeh goin'?'

I chased after Harry when he sprinted away from Hagrid's Hut. He didn't slow until he'd reached the Entrance Hall.

'We've got to go to Dumbledore,' said Harry. 'Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy and it was either Snape or Voldemort under the cloak – it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?'

The four of us looked around. None of us had ever been sent to Dumbledore's office. We had no idea where it was.

'We'll just have to –'

'What are you four doing inside?'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I span round. Professor McGonagall came striding out of the Great Hall with a pile of books in her arms. She looked at the four of us with narrowed eyes.

'We want to see Professor Dumbledore,' said Hermione.

'See Professor Dumbledore?' repeated Professor McGonagall. 'Why?'

'It's sort of secret,' said Harry hesitantly. Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed even more and her nostrils flared.

'Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,' she told us tersely. 'He received an urgent Owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once.'

'He's _gone_?' gasped Harry. ' _Now?_ '

'Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time –'

'But this is important.'

'Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?'

'Look,' said Harry, 'Professor – it's about the Philosopher's Stone –'

Of all the things that Professor McGonagall might have expected Harry to say, it wasn't that. She was taken aback, the books falling from her arms. She didn't pick them up.

'How do you know –?' she began but Harry stopped her.

'Professor, I think – I _know_ – that Sn– that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore.'

For a few minutes Professor McGonagall didn't speak. Eventually she found her voice.

'Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow,' she said. There was a note of finality in her voice. 'I don't know what you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected.'

'But Professor –'

'Potter, I know what I'm talking about.' She bent and picked up her books. 'I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine.'

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and walked off up the Marble Staircase. We didn't move.

'It's tonight,' said Harry. He'd made sure Professor McGonagall was gone before he spoke. 'Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up.'

'But what can we –' Hermione started but she gasped. I looked round and froze. Snape was standing behind us.

'Good afternoon,' he said slowly. We stared at him. 'You shouldn't be inside on a day like this,' continued Snape with a twisted smile.

'We were –' Harry started. He stumbled as he tried to think of an excuse. Having come up with dozens of excuses in my time at the orphanage, I stepped in.

'We were just heading outside,' I said. 'I'd left my bag outside our exam room so we went back to get it.'

Snape eyed me suspiciously.

'You want to be more careful,' he said. 'Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindors really can't afford to lose any more points, can they?'

'No, sir,' I answered for us.

I gave the others a pointed look and nodded towards the Entrance Hall doors. We walked past Snape to go back outside when he called us back.

'Be warned, Potter – any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you.'

Snape turned and walked away, his robes billowing behind him. Quickly we walked outside and took refuge in a corner of the courtyard.

'Right,' whispered Harry, 'here's what we've got to do. One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape – wait outside the staffroom and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that.'

'Why me?' she asked.

'It's obvious,' said Ron. 'You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know.' Ron put on a high-pitched voice. 'Oh, Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong …'

Hermione glared at Ron's impression of her. To be honest, it was actually quite accurate.

'Oh shut up, Ronald. But fine, I'll go keep an eye out for Snape.'

'And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor,' said Harry, 'we can each hide at separate ends on the corridor to keep a lookout for him. Come on.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione made to go back inside. I, however, didn't move. They looked back at me. I avoided their gaze, instead looking down at the ground.

'You guys can,' I said quietly. 'I'm not going.'

'Why not?' asked Harry. 'Jenna, Snape's going to steal the Stone. We're the only ones who can stop him.'

I shook my head, 'I can't. I've been in enough trouble this year already. With the amount of trouble I've gotten into in my life, I can't risk my Uncle finding out about this as well and sending me back to the orphanage.' Regardless of what Lupin had told me about not being able to send me back, even a year later I still doubted his word considering how much trouble I'd been in this year, culminating in the dragon incident. 'I don't want to go back there, Harry. I told you what it was like.'

Harry stared at me. Slowly his worried look began to soften.

'I know, Jenna.'

'I'm sorry,' I told him, 'but count me out.'

Harry nodded. He turned back to Ron and Hermione and the three of them hurried inside leaving me alone in the courtyard. I felt really bad for leaving them to deal with this on their own but I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to go back to that orphanage. Lupin couldn't find out that I had been involved with all this and finding out I'd broken Merlin knows how many school rules this year, especially defying a direct order by a teacher.

I kept my distance from Harry, Ron and Hermione for the rest of the day. At dinner they were huddled together and were whispering quietly about something they clearly didn't want anyone else to know about. I figured it had to be about the Stone and Snape. I ignored it, instead attempting to talk with Parvati and Lavender, a harder task than you'd think. Both Parvati and Lavender were quite girly, and for a tomboy like me, I found it a bit mind-numbing attempting conversation with them. I wasn't really interested in the latest quiz in Lavender's copy of _Witch Weekly_ if I was totally honest. After dinner I returned to the Gryffindor Tower in hopes for some peace and quiet but considering term was almost over, the common room was anything but. I sat myself in a corner with a book and quietly kept myself to myself.

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open. I looked up to see Harry, Ron and Hermione walk in. Harry caught my eye as they passed me to sit in our favourite chairs. There was an odd glint in them, one I'd seen before. Harry was planning something, I could tell. He only ever got that glint when he was determined to do something, like the day when I met him and we were caught on the roof. When our Headmistress didn't believe us about how we got up there, I saw Harry with this glint in his eye and the next moment the pen our Headmistress was using began leaking everywhere as if he'd willed it to. Doesn't seem so strange when I think about it now; that was just his magic doing that.

'So what's the plan?' I heard Ron say quietly to Harry and Hermione when they were sat down. I didn't want to listen in but a part of me couldn't help it. I didn't want them to deliberately put themselves in danger after all.

'We'll wait for the common room to empty,' replied Harry. 'I'll get my Dad's Cloak when everyone's gone to bed and we'll head to the third floor. Hopefully we'll get there before Snape does.'

I glanced worriedly at them out the corner of my eye. It sounded like they were going to go after the Stone themselves. I shook myself and returned to my book. This didn't involve me. It shouldn't involve any of us. If Harry wants to go after the Stone, that's his choice. It has nothing to do with me.

Unfortunately as I lay in bed that night my conscience got the better of me.

I went up to the girls' dormitory about ten o'clock. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still gathered in their corner. Hermione had her head in a book while the boys were talking. I turned away and went upstairs. I got ready for bed, brushing my teeth, pulling on my pyjamas, plaiting my hair then getting under the covers. There was no way I was going to get involved in this. I lay awake for a good half an hour. At some point I heard the dormitory door open and in came three sets of footsteps and I heard the voices of Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne. No Hermione. I listened as they got into bed and soon there was silence again.

As I lay there I kept reminding myself that I couldn't get involved, I couldn't get in any more trouble. I didn't want to go back to the orphanage nor give Lupin any more reason to send me back there. But then Harry entered my thoughts. I thought about all we had learnt this year about the Stone and I thought about that thing we'd encountered in the Forest. I thought about what Firenze had told us and how there was only one man who'd be desperate enough to drink the blood of a unicorn or go after a Stone that created the Elixir of Life. The one man who in the past had tried to kill my friend and was destroyed himself instead.

'I must be out of my mind,' I muttered quietly to myself.

I sat up and got out of bed. Quickly I pulled on my clothes again then crept out of my dormitory. I hurried down the stairs. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe I might still catch them. I reached the common room to find it dark and empty. I walked across the common room to the portrait hole when I almost tripped up on something lying on the floor.

'Neville!' I gasped. He was lying there frozen on the ground, his eyes looking wildly up at me. I took out my wand and said the counter-spell. 'What happened?' I asked.

'H-Hermione froze me,' he stuttered. 'T-they've snuck out again.'

I knew it! I just knew they were going to go after the Stone.

'Stay here, Neville,' I told him.

I ignored Neville's protests about me following after Harry and the others and left the common room. To my relief the Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait when I pushed it open, meaning I wouldn't get any objections from her for being out of the Tower after curfew. Once I was outside, however, I stopped. There was no way I was going to be able to get down to the third floor at this hour without getting caught by Filch or Mrs Norris, and Harry had probably used his Cloak to get himself, Ron and Hermione down there earlier. How was I going to get there without being seen?

It was then I remembered something. My gift. In the letter Lupin had given me when he first met me, my Mum had said how I must have changed into an animal by accident, and Granddad had told me over Christmas my Mum was able to do that so she could spend time with Lupin during the full moons. According to Lupin I had that gift too. The only problem was I had no idea how to use it. All the times I'd transformed in the past had been by accident. I had no idea how to force it to happen. I thought of those times. Dreams where I'd imagined myself being the animal; when I first found out Lupin was a werewolf, I'd wished I was an animal as they were immune to a werewolf's bite. Maybe that's all I had to do. Maybe I just had to think about it and I'd change.

 _Mrs Norris_ , I thought. I closed my eyes and pictured the mangy grey Maine Coon she was. If I was her then I could sneak down to the third floor unnoticed; Filch wouldn't think twice if he saw me. I concentrated as hard as I could but nothing seemed to happen until – All of a sudden my bones began to ache. I gasped as I felt a strange burning sensation run through my body as it began to change. My bones rubbed and grinded against each other; I felt fur sprout on my face and my clothes seem to vanish into my skin; my legs began to shorten as did my arms until I fell forwards on to what used to be my hands. I opened my eyes. I could see everything before me in much greater detail in the darkness but I had lost almost all the colour. I flexed what used to be my fingers and toes but was now my paws, claws extending and retracting as I did so. What was weirdest of all was that I now had a tail that seemed to have a mind of its own as it swayed behind me. After a few wobbly steps while I got used to the feeling of not being in my own body, I ran off for the third floor.

I was surprised by how agile I was in this cat's body. I was able to streak through the corridors and down the stairs in a short few minutes. Four legs were certainly faster than two. It felt weird though running on my hands. I hurried as fast as I could down to the third floor, not quite enjoying the feeling that I was going to go face first on to the steps, and into the third floor. I ran down the corridor and headed towards where Fluffy was hidden. The corridor was dimly lit by the torches on the walls but was completely empty of people. It would be safe for me to change back. I winced again as my bones grinded together as I thought of myself to return to my human form. I made a mental note that if I ever wanted to actively use this gift, I'd have to learn to bear that pain. Once back to normal, I slowly pushed open the door.

It was unlocked, meaning that Harry, Ron and Hermione had already been here. I peered round the door. Fluffy, though asleep, opened one pair of its three sets of eyes; a low growl rumbled in its throat. I looked around to see a harp standing at its feet and that the trapdoor it guarded had had its door torn off. Just to my left I saw something else lying on the floor; it was Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Quickly I grabbed it and put it in my pocket. Next I took out my wand. I pointed it at the harp, hoping my spell would work.

' _Ludus_ ,' I whispered.

An invisible breeze blew from my wand tip and towards the harp. Slowly the strings began to pluck themselves like an invisible man was playing it. The spell had worked, making the harp play itself. I watched and waited as Fluffy's awake head began to droop and it returned to sleep. I let out a relieved breath and crept inside. I sat down on the edge of the trapdoor hole and, swallowing, allowed myself to fall through it. I held in my scream as I fell downwards, landing with a dull thump on something worryingly soft. I looked round in the darkness. Beneath my hands I could feel something that felt like leaves. It seemed to be a plant of some sort.

'Oh my …'

I pushed myself backwards but I wasn't quick enough. A long tendril of the plant had already begun to wrap itself around my ankle while a second had grabbed my wrist. I tried to pull at them but that only made them tighter. A third started to go around my waist to hold me down. It was then I remembered. There was a plant Professor Sprout had told us about in Herbology that used vines to trap its victims. Devil's Snare or something like that. It thrived in dark and damp places like this one. So if it liked being wet it would hate being set alight. I pointed my wand as best as I could at the plant.

' _Incendio_.'

A small plume of fire shot from my wand and hit the plant. It almost shrieked in pain and instantly withdrew its vines that had almost completely wrapped around my arm and leg, the one around my waist also loosening. I scrambled to my feet and put myself flat against the wall. In the fading flames I could just see the plant shrink away into the darkness. I looked around for where I had to go next. There was a stone passageway to my right. I guess that was the only way ahead. After encountering Devil's Snare though I was reluctantly to continue. If that was Professor Sprout's protection for the Stone, I dreaded what were the other teacher's spells and enchantments.

The corridor was long and quiet apart from the occasional drip falling from the walls. My footsteps echoed in the emptiness as I walked cautiously onwards. Ahead of me was another chamber. I stopped. I could hear something. It sounded like something was rustling up ahead. In the distance I could see the light coming from the next room, something small casting a shadow every so often in the archway. I walked towards the noise with my wand lightly gripped in my hand just in case.

The chamber was much brighter than the last with torches going all the way around its circular walls. I gasped quietly at what I saw was inside. Hundred of tiny birds with jewelled bodies were gently flying around the high ceiling except … they weren't birds. They were keys. That meant if there were keys there had to be a door. Sure enough, there was a large wooden door on the opposite wall to me, and just in front of it was a broomstick. I walked over to it to take a look. Nothing seemed strange about the broom. Maybe I just had to use it to get the key that fit the lock.

A tiny squeaking drew my attention away from the broom. I looked around for the source of the noise. There was something lying on one of the stone sills. It was a key and it was injured. Its wings had been bent as if it had been grabbed recklessly by someone, while the key itself was much bigger and older looking. I went over to it and carefully scooped it into my hands. All of a sudden the keys surrounding me began to attack. I clasp the injured key in my hands not worrying about defending myself from the oncoming onslaught of the other keys. It was like they were aware of everything that was happening.

'I'm not going to hurt it!' I shouted. 'I just want to get to the next room! I won't hurt it!'

I made my way back to the door. The keys continued to attack despite my protests that I wasn't going to do anything that could damage the older key any more than it had already been. Shielding my face I held the key carefully in my free hand and placed it in the lock. I gave it a turn and the lock clicked open. Before it could wriggle away I pointed my wand at it.

' _Reparo_.'

The wings of the key snapped back into a straight rounded shape allowing it to flap its way out of the lock. The other keys seemed to see my gesture and they halted their attack. I watched as the old key floated in front of me for a moment or two before flying off to join the rest of them. With the keys gone and the door unlocked I continued on.

I didn't know how much farther ahead Harry, Ron and Hermione were in front of me, or how ahead of them Snape was, or even how many more obstacles there were separating them from me. There was another short corridor before the next chamber. This one was even darker than the first. As I stepped inside torches along the walls lit up, illuminating a large chessboard in front of me, and towering black and white chess pieces. All around the edges were the discarded broken pieces of the previous matches. Instead of a full chessboard, however, there were only a handful of pieces left in play. The black pieces had almost been completely destroyed save for two pawns, a bishop and a castle. The white pieces had both their bishops, a knight, two castles and a handful of pawns. Both sides had their queens.

I thought about what Ron had taught me about chess then walked on to the board. I had to do this was quickly and the best piece to use was the queen. She was deep on the white side of the board. I looked up at the piece. It bowed at me before moving off the board so I could stand in its place. I looked at where all the pieces were positioned on the board. The white king was already backed into the corner of the far side of the board and it looked like I only had one move that could either win or lose me the game. My castle was still in its original corner while my bishop was on a black square three squares away from the white king. Their queen was marking it though waiting for me to make my move.

Slowly I walked four squares diagonally right back towards the black side of the board. This meant the white king now had my castle defending it on the opposite side of the board, my bishop defending it diagonally and myself as the queen on the next row along stopping it from moving from any of the three squares surrounding its corner.

'Checkmate.'

I watched and waited. The white king turned towards me and raised its hand. It took of its crown and threw it to the ground. I let out a breath that I'd made the right choice in moves before running across the board and out the chamber.

So Professor Sprout had used Devil's Snare, Professor Flitwick must have charmed the keys and Professor McGonagall had transfigured the chessmen. That meant only Professor Quirrell and Snape were left.

Professor Qurrell's protection lay in wait for me in the next room, and when I say "lay", it was lying unconscious on the floor of the room it was inside. I was greeted by the foul smell of the troll before I saw it. It was knocked out cold from having received what I could only assume was a powerful blow to the head judging by the bloody lump it had on its head. It grunted as I crept past it but didn't stir and so I was able to get by without having to deal with another troll for the second time this year.

There was only one chamber left. As I walked through the doorway purple flames instantly blossomed behind me stopping me from going back the way I'd come, while ahead of me black flames now blocked the doorway out of the chamber. I was trapped. In the centre of the room was a table with several bottles laid out on it next to a sheet of parchment. I walked over to the table and picked it up.

 _Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,  
_ _Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,  
_ _One among us seven will let you move ahead,  
_ _Another will transport the drinker back instead,  
_ _Two among our number hold only nettle wine,  
_ _Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.  
_ _Choose, unless you wish to stay here forever more,  
_ _To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:  
_ _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide  
_ _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;  
_ _Second, different are those who stand at either end,  
_ _But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;  
_ _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,  
_ _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;  
_ _Fourth, the second left and the second on the right  
_ _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

'It's a riddle,' I said. 'You have to solve the riddle to work out which potion will get you through the flames. I bet my wand Hermione would have worked this out. But,' I looked at the bottles before me, 'if the one that would get me through the flames is only enough for one person, what happened to them?'

Only now had I realised that there was a possibility that all three of them might not have made it this far. But if that was indeed the case, what had happened to them? I hadn't come across any of them on my way down here so if they had had to turn back, then surely I would have passed them. Where had they gone? I looked ahead at the black flames. If any one of them had gone through them, I knew it was Harry, which meant that if Snape was working for Voldemort, he was in danger. I had to solve this riddle so that I could reach him if he needed my help now Ron and Hermione had been separated from him.

I looked at the seven bottles. Three were large, four were small, and each had a different colour liquid inside them. I re-read the riddle, taking note of the important information. Putting it down, I turned to the bottles.

' _Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_ ' I recited, running my finger along the table in front of the bottles. ' _One among us seven will let you move ahead, another will transport the drinker back instead. Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_ _three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here forever more. To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four_ :'

I looked at the bottles as I remembered each of the clues. In order they didn't seem to make any sense in which bottle I should eliminate first. I thought for a moment before making my first choice.

' _Second, different are those who stand at either end, but if you would move onwards, neither is your friend_.'

I moved the two end bottles forwards, eliminating them from the collection as they were the first I could tell were not going to help me. Based on the clue, they either had to be poison or the antidote to the purple flames.

' _Fourth, the second left and the second on the right are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight_.'

I removed the second and sixth bottles from the original line next leaving me with three left to choose from, as both were likely to either be nettle wine or poison.

' _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide, you will always find some on nettle wine's left side_.'

This one was trickier as there were only two bottles of nettle wine and three bottles of poison, and I had already removed two bottles that were identical. Only two bottles of poison would have the wine on its right. I removed the bottle on the far left; that one had to be either the potion to return back or poison, as it couldn't be wine. Looking at the remaining six, I moved forwards the two identical ones again. Neither could be the potion to return or go forward. If they were both wine, then the first and fifth bottles were poison; if they were both poison, then the wine would be third and seventh bottles, and I already knew bottle seven would not help me.

' _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides_.'

Bottle seven was the largest bottle on the table, meaning it couldn't be poison. It had to be the move back potion, which meant the paired ones must be wine and the bottles on their left were the poisons. I moved the fifth bottle forwards, eliminating it as well. That meant I had one poison and the correct potion left and only one was in a "dwarf" bottle like the clue suggests.

'This must be it then,' I said, picking up the tiny bottle of blue liquid.

I pulled Harry's Invisibility Cloak from my pocket and threw it over myself. I then opened the smallest bottle and drank the potion inside it. I felt a sudden chill sweep through my body as if I'd just drunk a lot of icy water, feeling it go right through to my veins. At least it wasn't poison. Quickly before the potion could wear off I walked straight ahead and through the black flames. They twisted and burned around me but I didn't feel any of their heat. I passed through them into the final chamber where two other people were already there. A rush of relief swept over me when I saw Harry, only to have it immediately replaced by shock when I saw not Snape, but Professor Quirrell facing him.

Slowly I walked closer to where the two of them were stood, stopping just before the steps leading down to them. Quirrell was talking to Harry but he sounded … different. He didn't stutter and seemed much more confidant than I had ever heard him before. It was then I noticed that there were ropes binding Harry. I had to do something but I had no idea how I could help him. Quirrell meanwhile was looking into a large ornate mirror with a golden frame.

'He is with me wherever I go,' he was saying, his voice quiet. He turned to look at Harry. 'I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it … Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me.' Quirrell shivered. 'He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me … decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me …'

I swallowed, not liking the sound of what that meant.

Quirrell faced the mirror again. He stared into its depths, angry at not being able to see something inside it. He cursed under his breath.

'I don't understand … is the Stone _inside_ the Mirror? Should I break it? What does this Mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!'

I flinched, a part of me jumping at the idea that Voldemort would suddenly appear. No one did. A voice, however, did answer Quirrell's pleas.

'Use the boy … Use the boy …'

Quirrell spun round.

'Yes – Potter – come here.' He clapped his hands and the ropes released Harry. 'Come here,' demanded Quirrell. 'Look in the Mirror and tell me what you see.'

Harry walked forwards. I watched in fear at what might happen. I wanted to help but I knew that there was nothing I could do without revealing myself and putting both Harry and myself in more danger than we probably were already in. All I could do was stand by and watch.

'Well? What do you see?'

'I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore,' said Harry. 'I – I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor.'

Quirrell cursed again.

'Get out of the way,' he shouted, pushing Harry to one side.

'He lies … He lies …'

'Potter, come back here!' shouted Quirrell. 'Tell me the truth! What did you just see?'

'Let me speak to him … face to face …'

'Master, you are not strong enough!'

'I have strength enough … for this …'

Who was Quirrell talking to? There was no one else in the room but him, Harry and myself, and neither was aware that I was here. Quirrell turned away from Harry. He reached up and slowly began to unwrap his turban. More and more of his head was exposed until the last bit of material fell away. I felt myself gasp at what I saw but no sound came from me. Where I had expected to the see the back of Quirrell's bald head instead was the most horribly disfigured face I'd ever seen. The skin was as pale as chalk making it's red eyes stand out even more as it glared at Harry, a pair of slit-like nostrils flaring in its anger. I knew then I had frozen in fear. It was Voldemort.

'Harry Potter …' it hissed. 'See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapour … I have form only when I can share another's body … but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds … Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks … you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the Forest … and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own … Now … why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?'

Harry had the Stone? How? And how did Voldemort know? A million questions were racing through my mind. I had no time to come up with answer to them, however, as Harry had suddenly stumbled backwards and Voldemort was advancing on him.

'Don't be a fool,' he snarled. 'Better save your own life and join me … or you'll meet the same end as your parents … They died begging me for mercy …'

'LIAR!' shouted Harry. I jumped.

'How touching …' sneered Voldemort. 'I always value bravery … Yes, boy, your parents were brave … I killed your father first and he put up a courageous fight … but your mother needn't have died … she was trying to protect you … Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain.'

'NEVER!' shouted Harry again.

Harry turned and ran towards the flames behind me. Taking that as a cue to get out of here, I made to follow him.

'SEIZE HIM!'

I looked round in time to see Quirrell lunge at Harry. I threw myself to the ground to avoid him touching me as he went for him and grabbed Harry's wrist. I watched as Harry yelled in pain and fought to break his grip. It hurt so much to watch him in pain and I almost couldn't bear to watch it. I couldn't watch my best friend get hurt. But then something happened. Quirrell started screaming as well and released Harry's wrist. He hunched over and was staring at his fingers that were slowly beginning to blister.

'Seize him! SEIZE HIM!' demanded Voldemort.

Quirrell went for Harry a second time. He knocked Harry to the ground landing on top of him with both his hands around Harry's neck. Harry's yells of pain cut through me like a knife. Seconds later though Quirrell once again was forced to let go of him as he howled in agony as both his hands were now covered in painful burns from being in contact with Harry.

'Master, I cannot hold him – my hands – my hands!'

'Then kill him, fool, and be done!' screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his hand, the curse obviously ready in his head. When I expected to see Harry give up, instead he lifted his own hands and grabbed Quirrell's face.

'AAAARGH!'

Quirrell threw himself backwards off Harry, his hands now protecting his burnt face. For some reason he couldn't seem to bare being touched by Harry. And by the looks of it Harry had also worked this out. He ran at Quirrell and grabbed on to his arm, refusing to let go no matter how much Quirrell tried to throw him off or how much Harry himself was also screaming in pain. Even Voldemort's yells of 'Kill him!' were not enough to make Quirrell continue his attack on Harry. Finally Quirrell managed to throw Harry away from him. He was pushed backwards and fell down the small flight of steps behind him. His head hit the stone and he was knocked unconscious. I carefully got to my feet so as not to dislodge the Cloak from me and ran over to him. I checked he was all right and was still breathing before looking back at Quirrell and Voldemort. Quirrell was still screaming in pain. He had his back to me but Voldermort's face was looking in my direction.

'Do not think I haven't known you are here,' hissed Voldemort. I gasped when I realised he meant me. 'A silly little girl foolish enough to follow Potter wasn't worth my attention. But know this. Harry Potter might have stopped me from returning tonight, but one day, mark my words, I will regain my power and I will kill him.'

I stared at Voldemort, speechless from fear at what was happening to Quirrell's body and what he'd just said. Blisters had now formed completely over Quirrell's face and hands that were now starting to crack and crumble as if they'd turned to stone. He was grasping at his face as it began to disintegrate. He stood straight and took one step towards where Harry and I were, his hand still outstretched, but it was too late. He collapsed on the ground as his body was destroyed. All that remained were Quirrell's robes and a pile of rubble and dust.

With Voldemort seemingly gone, I pulled off the Cloak and turned to Harry.

'Harry!' I shouted. I shook his shoulder but he didn't respond. He had cuts all over his face from the previous chambers and was covered in dirt and ash. 'Harry, please be all right!'

'He will be fine, Miss Black,' said a voice behind me.

I looked round. There stood at the top of the stone stairs was Professor Dumbledore. I never had been so relieved to see him. He had a look of concern on his face but also the start of a smile. He approached where Harry and I were on the floor and knelt down beside us. His eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he checked Harry over before standing straight again.

'Mr Potter is merely unconscious,' Professor Dumbledore told me. 'He will recover in a matter of days. Now, if you would be so kind, I will need your help in getting him to the Hospital Wing.'

I nodded and stood up. Dumbledore took out his wand and muttered something as he pointed it at Harry. His body slowly rose off the floor until it was floating in mid air. With Harry movable, Dumbledore began to lead us out of the chamber. I followed him in silence. Thoughts and questions were rushing through my head so fast that I could barely grasp them all. Only one, however, was important enough for me to ask.

'Is Harry going to be all right, Sir?' I asked Professor Dumbledore. 'I don't know what Professor Quirrel was doing to him but he seemed to be in a lot of pain when he was touching him.'

'He shall be fine, Miss Black,' assured Dumbledore, somewhat cheerfully considering the situation. 'A whole and pure soul will always heal itself no matter how damaged it becomes, especially when those who love them are close by.'

I merely nodded and accepted what Dumbledore said, not knowing at the time how important what he had said would come to be.

'What about Ron and Hermione?' I then asked. 'Harry was alone when I found him meaning Ron and Hermione had to turn back but I didn't pass them in any of the chambers.'

'Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are both safe,' said Dumbledore. 'Having decided to return from London, I was met by Miss Granger and an unconscious Mr Weasley in the Chess Chamber. I gave them a Portkey to transport them to the Hospital Wing, which is why your paths didn't cross. You, however, were too fast for me and had already gotten past the Potion Chamber by the time I'd returned after escaping Madam Pomfrey's disapproving tutting.'

'And the Stone?'

'Miss Black, you can put your questioning mind at ease,' said Dumbledore lightly. 'All you need to know is that everyone and everything is safe and that for now, Voldemort is no longer a threat. What is important is that we get you and Mr Potter back to the castle to be healed and contact your uncle to inform him that you are all right.'

Intentional or not, the mention of Lupin silenced me when I realised he was going to find out about all this, and I remained quiet for the rest of the journey.

Professor Dumbledore, Harry and I reached the Hospital Wing where a small group of people were already gathered. Ron was lying awake on a bed surrounded by his brothers Fred, George and Percy while an older red-haired women I recognised from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and assumed was his mother was fussing over his pyjamas. Hermione was sat on a bed next to them as she only had minor injuries like myself but got up when she saw me. She ran at me and gave me a hug, her bushy hair covering my face momentarily, beaming that I was all right. Once she had removed herself and her hair from me, I saw the one person I both dreaded to see and was relieved was there. Lupin, who had been talking to a red-haired wizard I gathered was Ron's father, saw me enter with Harry and Dumbledore.

'Jenna.' Where I expected anger, there was none. Instead, I pulled into one of Lupin's familiar embraces and he held me for a good minute or two. 'Thank Merlin you're OK.'

'Remus, Madam Pomfrey needs to check Miss Black over for any injury,' Professor Dumbledore told him. Lupin released me. 'While she tends to Miss Black and Mr Potter, I wish to speak with you and Mr and Mrs Weasley about tonight's events.'

Lupin nodded. He gently touched my cheek before following Professor Dumbledore into Madam Pomfrey's office, Mr and Mrs Weasley walking inside afterwards. The door closed behind them.

'Is Harry all right?' was Hermione's first question to me when they were gone. 'What happened down there? What made you come after us?'

'I didn't want you to get hurt,' I said simply. 'I only got there in time to see Harry in the final chamber with Professor Quirrell.'

Hermione gasped. Ron, Fred, George and Percy gaped at me.

'Professor Quirrell?' repeated Percy. 'What nonsense!'

'It's true,' I said. 'Professor Quirrell was being possessed by Vol –' the four Weasleys and Hermione flinched, 'You-Know-Who. He was after the Philosopher's Stone so he could make himself a new body. When he realised Harry had somehow got the Stone, You-Know-Who attacked Harry using Quirrell's body but Quirrell couldn't bare to touch him for some reason and his body was destroyed.'

'What about You-Know-Who?' asked Ron. I shrugged.

'I don't know,' I replied. 'I don't know what happened to You-Know-Who after that. All that was left of Quirrell though were his robes and a pile of rubble.'

'Wicked,' said Fred and George.

Fred and George appeared to be the only ones impressed by what Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had done tonight. Percy looked positively fuming but I think that was more because we'd probably broken at least half a dozen school rules in the last few hours. We fell into a silence after I had told them about what had happened down in the chamber. Madam Pomfrey, who had been bustling around Harry muttering angrily to herself while we talked, dragged me to a separate bed and began to heal the minor cuts I'd received. With a tap of her wand, they healed themselves and I was allowed to rejoin the others. Shortly after that the door to Madam Pomfrey's office opened and Professor Dumbledore, Lupin and Ron's parents came out.

Mr and Mrs Weasley went straight to their son. Mrs Weasley looked both furious and beyond relief that Ron was all right. Professor Dumbledore had gone to speak with Hermione, whose parents weren't here. I assumed that because they were Muggles they'd be notified by post or something. I watched them all for a moment before looking round. Lupin was standing quietly behind me, his brown eyes watching me. I looked at my feet.

'I'm sorry,' was all I could think to say.

'For what?' asked Lupin. I looked at him, confused. Lupin took a seat beside me on the bed I was sat on. He put his arm around my shoulders. 'You showed tremendous bravery tonight, going after Harry and the others. If anything, I'm proud of you, Jenna.'

'You are?' I asked. Lupin nodded.

'While I'm not pleased to hear that you have gotten into trouble several times this year, I can't say that I'm surprised,' said Lupin. He raised his eyebrow at me. 'You are my sister's daughter, after all. I'd be more surprised if you _didn't_ get into any trouble. A dragon is a new one though. Even Tala didn't manage to get mixed up with one of those.'

'So … you're not mad?' I asked nervously.

'Of course I'm not,' said Lupin. He gave my shoulder a squeeze. 'I'm just glad that you and Harry are both all right.'

Lupin smiled down at me. I smiled back, feeling that familial bond with him which told me everything was going to be all right.

Ron was released from the Hospital Wing the following day while Harry was kept in for the next three. Ron, Hermione and I waited anxiously for any news about him and so were relieved when Professor McGonagall finally told us that he had woken up. We went to go see him but were stopped by Madam Pomfrey who informed us that he was not to be disturbed. It was only through Harry's pleading that she relented and let us in. Harry was sitting up in bed surrounded by piles of sweets and gifts from various people. He beamed when he saw us.

'Oh Harry,' gushed Hermione, almost throwing herself on to him, 'we were sure you were going to – Dumbledore was so worried –'

'The whole school's talking about it,' said Ron. He was much more excited about the situation than either Hermione or I were. 'What _really_ happened? Jenna told us some of it but she said you were already facing Quirrell when she got there.'

Harry looked at me.

'I thought you stayed in the Tower,' Harry said, confused, 'because of your uncle.'

'Well, I did but I couldn't let you guys have all the glory,' I said. The corner of my lip lifted into a small smile; Harry grinned back. 'I didn't really do much though. You seemed to have it under control when I got there.'

'I really didn't,' said Harry.

'So come on, tell us what happened,' said Ron eagerly.

'There isn't really much to tell,' shrugged Harry. 'After Hermione and I separated in the Potion Chamber, I continued on into the next chamber where I thought I'd come face-to-face with Snape but it wasn't him. It was Professor Quirrell. Snape was never after the Stone. He'd been trying to stop Quirrell. That's how he injured his leg when he went after him and got attacked by Fluffy. Just like at the Quidditch match and the troll. Quirrell had been bewitching my broom while Snape was muttering a counter-curse _and_ he was the one who let the troll in at Hallowe'en so he could see what was guarding the Stone.'

Ron and Hermione were listening to Harry with their mouths hanging slightly open, gasping with surprise at the right parts.

'When I got there, Quirrell was looking in the Mirror of Erised, that mirror I'd found at Christmas. Dumbledore had used it to hide the Stone so only those who didn't want to use it would get it. Quirrell was angry he couldn't get the Stone and so he tried to use me instead. When I looked in the Mirror, I saw myself with the Stone and next moment it was in my pocket.

'I tried to tell him about winning the House Cup when he asked me what I'd seen but this voice knew I was lying. It demanded to speak to me but there was no one else in the room apart from us. Quirrell began to remove his turban and beneath it was the face of Voldemort.'

Ron flinched at the name; Hermione screamed at the thought of Quirrell with two faces, the other being Voldemort's.

'That's when Voldemort attacked me but for some reason Quirrell couldn't bear to touch me. His skin would get all burnt and blistered if it did. Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill me,' Hermione screamed again, this time muffling it with her hands, 'but before he could, I grabbed his face to stop him. I blacked out shortly after that and woke up in here. According to Professor Dumbledore, the reason Quirrell couldn't touch me was because of my Mum died saving me it protected me from him.'

'What about the Stone?' I asked. Harry shook his head.

'Professor Dumbledore said it's been destroyed.'

'So the Stone's gone?' said Ron. 'Flamel's just going to _die_?'

'That's what I said,' replied Harry, 'but Dumbledore thinks that – what was it – "to the well-organised mind, death it but the next great adventure".'

Ron, Hermione and I looked at each other.

'I always said he was off his rocker,' muttered Ron. We laughed.

'So what happened to you two?' Harry then asked.

'Well, I got back all right,' said Hermione. 'I brought Ron round – that took a while – and we were just dashing to get back to the castle to send an Owl to Dumbledore when he appeared in the Chess Chamber. He already knew – he just said, "Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?" before enchanting a piece of a pawn to take us here.'

'D'you think he meant you to do it?' said Ron. 'Sending you your father's Cloak and everything?'

'It'd be very irresponsible if he did,' I said.

' _Well_ ,' huffed Hermione, 'if he did – I meant to say – that's terrible – you could have been killed.'

'No, it isn't,' said Harry. 'He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the Mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could …'

'That sounds crazy, Harry,' I told him, 'but believable at the same time.'

'Yeah, Dumbledore's barking, all right,' agreed Ron. There was a touch of pride in his voice. 'Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course – you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you – but the food'll be good.'

At that moment Madam Pomfrey bustled over with a furious look on her face.

'You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT!'

On the last day of term I went back to the Hospital Wing alone to see if Harry was going to be allowed to come to the end-of-year feast. As I walked towards the Hospital Wing, I passed a rather tearful-looking Hagrid who nodded at me as he blew his nose on a large spotted handkerchief. I smiled back at him and walked on. I pushed open the door of the Hospital Wing. Harry was dressed back in his robes and was sitting on his bed. I guess Madam Pomfrey was going to let him out. He looked up when he heard me entered, smiled then waved me over.

'Ready for the feast?' I asked him.

'Yeah, definitely,' said Harry, 'I'm so hungry I could eat second helpings already.'

I chucked at that. It was then I noticed a book lying beside him.

'What's that?'

'It's a photo album,' said Harry. He picked it up and opened it. 'Hagrid made it for me. It's got lots of photos of my parents in it. Look.'

Harry showed the book to me. Together we looked at the pictures, Harry carefully turning the pages. I smiled as I looked at them. There were a handful at the start that appeared to be the most recent as some even included a baby Harry being held and kissed by his mum and dad. James and Lily looked so happy together. It was such a shame what had happened to them. But it was a photo about halfway through the book that caught my attention.

Again, James and Lily were in the photograph but this time there were other people with them. Three others, and all were dressed in their Hogwarts uniform. I couldn't help but smile when I saw it. There stood with his arm slung round James's shoulders was a young man I knew to be my Dad, a second familiar face on James's other side as Lupin stood grinning beside them. Beside them was Lily and a second girl with strange blue eyes I recognised as my own and knew to be my Mum. Although Lupin had mentioned James and Lily in the past to me, he'd never said he or my Mum and Dad had been at school with them, only that they had been friends at some point. I glanced at Harry beside me; it seemed we had a deeper history with each other that even we didn't know about.

'Who d'you reckon they are?' Harry asked me next, as if by coincidence.

'I don't know,' I replied. I could have easily said that was my family with his but for some reason it didn't feel like it was the right time to do so. 'They look happy together though, don't they?'

Harry looked at me. We shared a smile.

'We better get to the feast,' I then said. 'We don't want Ron scoffing all the food before we get there.'

The Great Hall was full when Harry and I finally got there after being delayed by Madam Pomfrey fussing over Harry. An odd hush went over the Hall when we entered and once again people began to stare, some even standing on the benches so as to get a better look at Harry. I knew the stares were definitely something I was never going to get used to. We found Ron and Hermione about halfway up the table sitting with Neville, Seamus and Dean and Ron's older brothers. We slipped into two vacant seats opposite them just in time as Professor Dumbledore arrived shortly afterwards. He stood in front of the teacher's table at a lectern in the centre of the platform where he could see and address the school.

'Another year gone!' said Dumbledore cheerfully. 'And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were … you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts …'

'Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding,' Professor Dumbledore waved his wand at an empty podium beside him; a magnificent golden Cup suddenly appeared upon it, 'and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points.'

There was a small spattering of applause throughout the Hall. None of the students in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seemed to be able to muster the enthusiasm to applaud the winners of the Cup, considering it was Slytherin.

'In third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two.'

The whole Slytherin table burst into cheers and applause. I glanced over my shoulder at them; I saw Malfoy grinning smugly to his friends about the win. I turned back and looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. What did we expect? We had broken so many rules this year and lost so many points for Gryffindor, and Harry had missed the last Quidditch match. There was no way Gryffindor was going to win the House Cup.

'Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin,' said Dumbledore. 'However, recent events must be taken into account.'

I looked curiously at Dumbledore, my brow furrowed. What was he talking about? Slowly the applause died away as the Slytherins realised something was up.

'Ahem.' Dumbledore cleared his throat. 'I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes …

'First – to Mr Ronald Weasley …'

Harry, Hermione and I looked at Ron. He went pink.

'… for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor fifty points.'

The sudden cheers that came from the Gryffindors almost made me jump. Beside us Percy was proudly telling anyone who could hear him that that was his brother who'd won those points.

'Second – to Miss Hermione Granger … for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor fifty points.'

Even more cheers erupted from Gryffindor. Hermione buried her face in her arms in embarrassment. I think she was trying not to cry.

'Third – to Mr Harry Potter …' The room went silent. '… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor sixty points.'

The cheers were now almost deafening now Gryffindor had won an additional one hundred and sixty points. Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were cheering for us now. I quickly added these points to our original score.

'Guys, we've tied with Slytherin,' I told the others. Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned. It wasn't a win but at least we'd tied with them. It was better than nothing. Dumbledore, however, wasn't finished. He raised his hand and the cheers died down once more.

'There are all kinds of courage,' said Dumbledore. He was smiling, that twinkle still in his eye. 'It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies for those in need of help, but just as much to stand up to our friends.'

My eyes narrowed in confusion. It was then I noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were looking at me for some reason.

'I therefore award ten points to Miss Jennifer Black and Mr Neville Longbottom.'

I gaped in amazement, unaware of the resounding cheers and applause now booming from three quarters of the Hall. Beside me Neville was looking equally as stunned, his mouth wide open while Fred patted him on the back. Harry, Ron and Hermione were beaming at me and slowly a smile came to my face as well. I may not have done much to help them but I guess the fact I was there for them if they needed me was more than enough to make a difference. And with those additional twenty points, we had overtaken Slytherin meaning Gryffindor had won the House Cup.

'Which means,' continued Dumbledore over the noise, 'we need a little change in decoration.'

Dumbledore clapped his hands. I looked up and watched as the green and silver banners that had been hanging above us blew as if caught in a gentle breeze and soon changed to gold and scarlet, the Slytherin snake being replaced by the Gryffindor lion. I took in the sight and the sounds with such amazement, a strange feeling inside me as I embraced being cheered for once instead of punished. The food soon appeared before us and the end-of-term feast started. With the combination of winning the House Cup and some of the most glorious food I'd ever tasted, this was proving to be the best night in my entire life and one I don't think I was likely to ever forget.

Even with the elation of the feast on our final night at Hogwarts for our first-year, I couldn't forget that our exam results were due out the very next day before we left. The following morning a series of notices had been posted on the Gryffindor noticeboard detailing the exam results for the first, second, third and fourth-year students. I was pleased to see that Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had all passed with Hermione unsurprisingly getting top marks in all classes. Even Neville had passed despite his worrying about how he'd done, with his Herbology mark being the best one he received.

In a matter of a short few hours our wardrobes were emptied and our trunks were packed. It felt weird putting everything back into my trunk to return home to Moonlake Cottage after a year of living at Hogwarts but felt reassured knowing I'd be back here in a short few weeks. At breakfast we were each given a note reminding us that no magic was to be used over the holidays, much to Fred and George's disappointment, and that the carriages to Hogsmeade Station would be leaving at ten o'clock. I gathered my stuff in my school bag for the journey back to London and met up with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Entrance Hall where Hagrid was waiting for all the first-years so he could take us back to the Station via the boats we'd arrived in on our first day here. This time Hermione joined Harry, Ron and I in the boat we got in, something I was certainly glad about now.

The train journey back to London was a long one but it seemed to pass by in a couple of hours. The castle disappeared into the distance and soon was out of sight as we travelled back through the Muggle world, fields and villages zooming past in a colourful blur. The four of us sat together in our compartment happily talking to each other and tucking into what was left of Harry's sweets from the Hospital Wing. I watched as the countryside passed us by, already wondering what would be in store for us come September and counting the days until we'd return. When the voice announced we were nearing London, we pulled off our robes and got changed into our day clothes, stuffing my robes into my bag so they were out of sight. The train began to slow and soon London and King's Cross Station was in sight.

It was a bit of a squeeze getting off the train on to the platform as the students piled they way off the train and collected their belongings from the guards. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I collected our various trunks and pets and followed the crowd towards the exit on to the Muggle platform. A wizened old guard was letting us through in groups of two and three so as not to cause a panic on the other side of the barrier. Ron and Hermione went through first then Harry and I followed. People were calling out to Harry as we through it.

'Still famous,' chucked Ron. Harry grinned.

'Not where I'm going, I promise you,' said Harry.

As families began to walk back up the Muggle platform to leave the Station, our own came into view. I saw the familiar red-hair of Ron's mother and sister, who was excitedly pointing at Harry when she saw him, and a couple who shared Hermione's brown hair waiting for her nearby to them. Just back from them I recognised a rather large man I'd seen before whom I knew to be Harry's uncle Vernon, a rather skinny woman and skittish boy standing beside him. I'd never seen Dudley look so nervous. I looked round the platform and finally I saw Lupin. He smiled when he saw me, waving at me to come over.

'I better go,' I told the others. 'My Uncle's waiting for me.'

'See you in September, Jenna,' said Ron.

'Have a good holiday,' said Hermione, 'and don't forget to write.'

I laughed, 'I wont.' I then turned to Harry. 'So, I'll see you in after the holidays?' I asked him.

'Definitely,' grinned Harry.

'I'll say goodbye then,' I said, referring to the last time we parted. 'Bye, Harry.'

'See you, Jen.'

I smiled then turned to walk over to Lupin. He came and greeted me, giving me a hug before taking my trunk and Gizmo's cage from me. As we walked down the platform, I glanced back at the friends I had made. Ron and Hermione were certainly two people I was glad to have met at Hogwarts and I knew they'd be lifelong friends while I was there; as for Harry, despite all the stuff I'd learnt about him this last year and all the stuff we'd been through because of him, I still couldn't see him as this Boy Who Lived who'd defeated some Dark Wizard. He was still just Harry to me and that was never going to change. I turned back and walked out of the Station with Lupin into the same alleyway as before and he Apparated us back home to Moonlake Cottage.

* * *

 **AN: so that's Philosopher's Stone redone. hopefully people will like the changes I've made and the new additions to Jenna's life and hopefully her character as well. I certainly like the fact I can now include another family member in Jenna's life and look forward to writing more about her Granddad; I have played down her powers so as to develop them more as she gets older, even downplaying her interest in learning how to control being an Animagus until she learns from her Granddad it was something that bonded Remus and Tala, making Jenna want to do the same. I hope I've defined a bit better how she became friends with Hermione before the boys on the night of Hallowe'en and brought out more of her personality by writing fresh dialogue for her which I will continue to do so in future rewrites (although there may be some things I might still pinch from the films e.g. I like the idea of Jenna at some point in the sixth year having the conversation with Harry that Hermione has in the film with him where he says "I am the Chosen One" and she smacks him on the head; it just seems the sort of thing Jenna would do).**

 **I am aware there are probably still a few editing mistakes which, having finished this book, I'm going to go over before I proceed to Chamber of Secrets. I look forward to the changes I'm hopefully going to make in book two. And once again, I am not looking for reviews or new readers. I'm just getting back into writing and changing bits from the original story I no longer like.**


	9. Family Ties

Chapter 8

Family Ties

It felt strange to wake up once again in my bedroom at Moonlake Cottage after a year away at school. I turned my head on my pillow to look at my clock. It was past ten o'clock already. I hadn't realised I'd slept in so late. I pushed the duvet off me and sat up. I pulled the hair-band out of my hair and ran my hand through its long strands; gathering it up I began to plait it as I always did, tossing it back over my shoulder when I reached the tips. Getting dressed, I headed downstairs for breakfast. Lupin was already up and in the kitchen when I got there. As always he was sitting at the table with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in front of him while he casually perused its pages. He looked up when he heard me entered.

'Morning, Jenna, did you sleep well?' he asked. I walked over to the table and took a seat next to him.

'Yeah, I'd forgotten how comfortable my bed was,' I said happily. 'I haven't slept that well since before my exams.'

'Good,' said Lupin. He pointed his wand at the cupboard. 'Cereal?' I nodded; he knew cereal was my favourite thing to have for breakfast. The box floated out of the cupboard as the milk flew out of the fridge to the table. 'It's good that you had a full night's sleep as we've got a lot of work ahead of us this summer.'

I took a bite of cereal. I gave Lupin a confused look by what he meant.

'What work?' I asked. 'I have some homework to do but that's all.'

'You asked to learn about your gift, remember?' said Lupin. 'At Christmas, after the full moon.'

'Oh.' I hesitated, having forgotten that I had indeed asked Lupin to help me learn how to use my gift. I swallowed my mouthful of cereal. 'Yeah, my gift.'

My gift: the ability to transform into animals. I hadn't really thought about it since I attempted to use it a few weeks ago when I went after Harry, Ron and Hermione who'd gone through the trapdoor. Changing into Mrs Norris had been very painful as had returning to my human form, making it an experience I was reluctant to repeat since then. As I sat there, however, I remembered the reason I had asked Lupin to teach me in the first place. I had inherited this gift from my Mum who could also transform into animals. Whenever the full moon rose and Lupin transformed into a werewolf, my Mum would change into a horse and keep him company during the course of the night. Though their abilities were different – one a curse, another a gift – the result was the same as both were animals and it was something that had strengthened the relationship between them, according to my Granddad.

I aimlessly stirred my cereal, staring into space as these thoughts rushed through my head. This gift was something that had bonded Mum and Lupin. Although I had now been under his care for almost a year I still didn't feel fully accepted by Lupin, as if there was something holding me back from getting close to him. Maybe learning to use this gift would be the thing that would finally remove that last bit of emptiness I felt.

'Jenna?' I looked up to see Lupin was watching me. 'Is everything all right?'

'Yeah.' I gave him a small smile. 'I was just thinking about some stuff.'

'You know you don't have to do this now,' Lupin told me. 'We can wait until you're older to learn how to control your ability.'

I shook my head.

'No, I want to do this,' I said. 'For Mum.'

A smile lifted the corner of Lupin's mouth. He was looking at me with the same kindness I'd seen many times before. It made me wonder if anything ever made him angry. Once I'd finished breakfast Lupin told me to change out of my jeans and into some looser clothes and join him in his study across the hallway when I was ready. He had something he needed to show me first before he would teach me how to use my gift.

Lupin's study was a small room at the front of the house. I had never been inside it before, feeling that this was Lupin's private room where he did whatever work it was he did until I learnt that he was a werewolf and was unemployed. It was a small square room that had only one window looking out over the front garden, a single lamp hanging from the ceiling as its only other source of light; a large desk sat beneath the windowsill with several strange whirring instruments sat on top of it; the walls were lined with bookcases filled with books on a variety of subjects including magical defence, magical creatures and potion making; and in the corner was a large empty tank that I assume had at one point contained some strange animal Lupin was examining.

Lupin was already in there when I opened the door. He had a large book in his hands and was looking through its pages for something. He waved me in and indicated for me to take a seat. I sat in silence for a few minutes while Lupin looked through the book. When he found whatever passage it was he was after, he handed the book to me and pointed at a paragraph about halfway down the open page.

 _Of all the advanced branches of Transfiguration, none is  
_ _more difficult than the Animagus transformation. Translating  
_ _to mean "Animal Wizard", an Animagus is a wizard who  
_ _has the ability to transform him- or herself into the form of an  
_ _animal through the use of Self-Transfiguration and Self-Charm,  
_ _requiring what could be years of training to perfect the  
_ _combination of spells and charms needed for a successful  
_ _transformation. If rushed or not completed, the Animagus  
_ _transformation can go horribly wrong, sometimes leaving  
_ _the wizard partially human, partially animal for the rest of their  
_ _lives._

 _The form a wizard will take once they have completed the  
_ _training is unknown and is limited to a single animal. It is said  
_ _that the form they take is a reflection of their inner selves in  
_ _a way similar to that of the Patronus Charm. After training has  
_ _been completed, a wizard will be able to change at will from  
_ _human to animal and back again. Those attempting the  
_ _transformation are required by law to register with the Improper  
_ _Use of Magic Office at the Ministry of Magic._

'An Animagus,' I read aloud. 'Is that what I am?'

'Not quite,' replied Lupin. He took a seat at his desk and faced me. 'But it is important to for you to know what an Animagus is to understand your gift.

'What you are, Jenna,' continued Lupin, 'is a lot more complicated than a simple case of spells and enchantments to change your form into that of an animal. For one thing, your transformation is not limited to a single animal, nor do you require years of training to be able to do it because it's something that runs in your very blood having been passed on to you after many generation of wizards.'

'So what exactly am I?' I asked Lupin.

'You are a Feramorph.' I gave Lupin a confused look. He continued. 'Many centuries ago, a wizard who possessed the strange ability to change his form and appearance became the subject of many studies and questions from other wizards. He was a Metamorphmagus, a rare ability that had never been seen before which allowed him to change anything about his physical appearance into that of another person or animal. Sick of being continually hounded, the wizard went into hiding as an animal and lived out the rest of life as one away from those who wanted to experiment on him. His ability was passed on through his children, both those he had had when he was human from his past life and those he had when he was an animal after he went into hiding, leading to the two strands of magical transformations.'

I nodded as I tried to comprehend what Lupin was telling me. It sounded very confusing.

'Both of these abilities are very rare. While his human children continued to use the term Metamorphmagus, his animal children, who felt shunned by their half-siblings because of their animalistic qualities despite also having a human appearance, took the term Feramorph that their father had created, which means "animal shape". When they were eventually discovered, the wizarding community were unsure how to react to them and so they were classified as half-breeds under the Classification of Beings and Beasts made by the Wizard's Council, now known as the Ministry for Magic, due to the fact that like werewolves they spent most of their time as a human but could transform into an animal as and when they wished, which in the Council's eyes was enough for them to be classified as a "beast". Their powers of transformation intrigued the Wizard's Council, and studies were done to create spells to help a wizard change their appearances into that of other humans or animals – hence how some of the Transfiguration spells and the Animagus transformation now exist – but they were never able to fully replicate the innate talent.'

'So I'm a half-breed in the eyes of the Ministry?' I asked. Lupin nodded. 'And these people inspired spells to be made to replicate their powers? But that doesn't explain how I'm a Feramorph.'

'As with all magical skills and talents, the Metamorphmagus and Feramorph abilities were passed on through the generations,' explained Lupin, 'but as more and more wizards began marrying into Muggle families and the bloodlines became mixed, the ability became dormant and it was forgotten about. While the Metamorphmagus branch was merely diluted by mixing with non-magical blood and their ability to change into full animals was lost, some do still exist today, the Feramorph strand disappeared almost completely. With no animal blood in the families of the original wizard's children, it died out.'

I wrinkled my nose at that. I didn't like the idea the only reason I was a Feramorph was because of a wizard some centuries ago doing something which nowadays would be considered illegal with an animal.

'I know it sounds unpleasant,' said Lupin, seeing my disgust, 'but bear in mind, this happened centuries ago. Back then it wasn't uncommon for inbreeding between wizard families in order to maintain blood purity and so human-animal relations were also overlooked. It is one of the more … distasteful attributes of being a pure-blood wizard, I'll admit. That some wizards were so repulsed at the idea of having Muggle blood that they only married other pure-bloods which meant they were marrying their own relatives.'

'Then how can I be a Feramorph if the ability died out over the years?'

'From what your granddad could find out when we discovered Tala had this ability, it was an ancestor of ours in the Lupin family that led to Tala eventually inheriting this gift, but we are unsure as to why it became active in her or why it is active in you as well. The Lupin bloodline lost its purity many years ago unlike some wizarding families like the Weasleys, who remain pure to this day, but that doesn't mean the ability wasn't present in our blood. My theory is that Tala's became active by accident when she fell into a river one day and she willed herself to change in order to stop from drowning.'

'What about me? The first time I transformed was when I was dreaming about being a dog.'

'Again, I have my theories,' mused Lupin. 'In your case, I think it might have something to do with your blood. You are a member of the Black family, one of the purest wizard bloodlines there is. According to the _Pure-blood Directory_ , the Black family was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, a group consisting of only the purest blood families. You can trace the Blacks all the way back to the thirteenth century. It is possible that they are the direct descendants of the original wizard as I learnt recently that another member of their family is a Metamorphmagi. I believe that the combination of our two families is what reactivated the ability in you.'

This was a lot of information to take in. I could feel my head starting to hurt as I tried to comprehend it all. If I understood Lupin correctly, I was somehow descended through both my families from a wizard who could change his appearance at will, both human and animal, and so I had the ability to change into any animal I want but not change my appearance to make myself look like another human – that was limited to a Metamorphmagus only. Because of the stigma, these Feramorphs were labelled half-breeds by the Ministry and eventually died out until it somehow was reactivated in me but without any confirmed reason as to why it did.

'This all sounds really farfetched,' I said eventually. 'Me being descended from this wizard.'

'I know it does,' agreed Lupin. 'Your granddad did all the research he could into Feramorphs but there just wasn't that much information on them. The last known case of a Feramorph was sometime in the nineteenth century. It was only when the Animagus transformation was created that the Ministry decided to try and keep tabs on these wizards who could change into animals, recording what animal they changed into and any particular markings they had. The spells are illegal to do without registering beforehand due to how dangerous they are. If there were anymore Feramorphs, they used this chance to hide and registered themselves as Animagi and only listed one animal as the one they changed into.'

'And the only thing that makes me different from Animagi is that I can change into any animal I want?' I said. Lupin nodded.

'In the simplest of terms, yes,' he said, 'but there is a lot more to it than merely thinking of an animal's form and changing into it. You have to be willing to let your body transform otherwise it can be a very painful process and then willing to change back. The more you practice it, however, the easier it will become. Tala became so adept at transforming that she eventually learnt how to change only parts of her body at one time, not that she ever had the need to walk around with a tail. A part of me thinks she just enjoyed having one.'

I held in a laugh at that. If Mum really was as cheeky as Lupin and Granddad had always said she was, I wouldn't have doubted her walking around with a tail whenever she felt like it.

'There's just one condition,' Lupin added. I gave him a curious look. 'Because of it being such a rare talent, any who have been revealed to be a Feramorph have been shunned by the wizarding community due to its half-breed status. It is important that you don't tell anyone about what you can do unless you trust them. Your grandma told your mum the same thing that I'm telling you now: you are not to flaunt this ability in public, nor are you to tell anyone what you are for risk of exposure, unless you know they will keep your secret safe. Do you understand, Jenna?'

'Yes, Lupin,' I said.

After all Lupin had told me about what I was, I was once again reluctant to do anything about my gift. I didn't really want to be called a half-breed by other wizards and as much as I trusted Harry, Ron and Hermione, I thought it best not to tell them what I can do. It sounded like being a Feramorph was similar to being a Muggle-born; Muggle-borns were considered to have "dirty blood" for being from non-magic families and were sometimes referred to as "Mudbloods" because of it as I'd learnt from Lupin when I told him about Hermione. He merely chuckled at the fact she had beaten every wizard in our year in our exams, proving that what was said about pure-blood families wasn't necessarily true, and that she sounded like someone he used to know. Even so, it felt like I was being let off lightly with being merely called a half-breed compared to that. Either way it appeared that there was still a lot of prejudice in the wizarding world against those who were different. I couldn't be sure Harry, Ron and Hermione wouldn't react badly to my ability as well. I didn't want to lose my friends.

Transforming into an animal was a lot harder than I thought. It required a lot of concentration both on what animal you were going to change into and what the animal itself looked like to be able to successfully change into it, and if you weren't willing to let yourself change it caused you a lot of pain. It explained why the few times I'd transformed before had hurt so much, because I hadn't been fully willing to let it happen. Once you had managed to transform though, the changing back was equally as difficult. You had to focus yourself on your own appearance and once again willingly let yourself return to your original form. The whole process was very draining as it used both your energy and magic to be able to sustain the animal form due to the nature of it being an inherited ability while an Animagus had used spells to make the change happen and so it didn't tire them the same way whenever they used their animal form.

After Lupin had told me about what I was, we went out into the back garden so Lupin could teach me how to transform. He brought his copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ with him as well as what looked like a Muggle book called _The A to Z of Animals in Britain and Other Countries_. Lupin got me to stand in front of him in an open space in the garden while he conjured a few objects for us to use if I managed a successful transformation.

'We'll start with something easy,' Lupin said, facing me. He tucked his wand into his inner robe pocket. 'Tala started with very basic animals when she first learnt how to transform before moving on to larger ones or attempting any magical beasts. It'll be less of a strain on your body if we keep to Muggle animals for now.

'Now, what I want you to do, Jenna, is clear your mind. Let every unimportant thought or worry leave you so that you can focus on what you are about to do.'

I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and I tried to get rid of any thoughts I was currently having. I did my best to stop thinking about the fact I was going to be attempting to transform any moment from now but at the same time I couldn't help remember how that had felt the last time I'd tried to transform. The aching I'd felt in my bones and the burning sensation as they rubbed against each other.

'Try to relax, clear your mind,' I heard Lupin say again, 'and when you're ready, I want you to think about transforming into a cat. Picture it in your mind and picture yourself changing into it. Imagine yourself as the cat you've created in your mind and let yourself change into that cat.'

I remained where I was for a minute or so longer as I tried to push the last of my thoughts from my mind before imagining a cat to transform into. I imagined a black cat, nothing special about it as I tried to keep my thoughts as simple and as clear as possible. I could picture it in my head; a black body, legs and tail with amber eyes. The moment I had the cat clear in my head, however, my reluctance crept in again at the thought that this was going to hurt and I faltered. My bones suddenly began to burn and I screamed as they forced themselves to change.

' _Immobulus_.'

I felt my body freeze, the pain stopping. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't. Lupin had done something that had frozen me in place to stop me transforming.

'Don't worry, Jenna,' I heard Lupin's voice say, 'I've Immobilised you to stop you forcing yourself to transform. You'll hurt yourself if you do so. On three, I'm going to lift the spell. Clear your head again and you'll stop the transformation. One, two, three.'

I cleared my head, getting rid of any remaining thoughts about the cat. I then felt my body release and I dropped to the ground. I opened my eyes to see Lupin kneeling in front of me. Gently he lifted my chin so he could check me over.

'Are you all right?' he asked.

'Yeah,' I sighed. 'I thought about the cat but as soon as I had to do it, I hesitated.'

'You won't transform unless you are completely willing to do so,' said Lupin gently, 'not without causing yourself great pain. I know it's an unpleasant feeling now but it will get easier.'

I frowned. How was this going to get easier if I couldn't even transform into something as simple as a cat without being afraid it was going to hurt? How would I ever be able to transform if every time I had to I hesitated and wouldn't let it happen? Lupin must have seen my frustration.

'Jenna.' I looked up at him. 'Why do you want to learn this?' Lupin asked me. 'What is it that makes you want to learn how to control your ability?'

'I don't know,' I shrugged. 'Because Mum could do it?'

'I can tell that's not the reason why,' said Lupin gently. 'You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just take a moment to think about why you want to learn how to do this. Think about whatever it is that is making you want to learn how to use it. Let the reason be your only thought, and concentrate on it.'

I looked away and stared at the ground. Why was I doing this? I didn't have to learn how to change into an animal. What use was it going to be to me anyway? Feramorphs had died out many years ago. They were nothing but a piece of history. I was just a random anomaly because of my family history. What good was going to come of being a Feramorph?

For some reason Lupin suddenly appeared in my thoughts. I could remember him standing outside in the garden the night I found out he was a werewolf. He had looked so lonely standing in the moonlight as he waited for his own painful transformation to occur. He no longer had his sister to keep him company during these times and was left to endure it on his own. A wave of sadness for him rushed over me and I realised that was why I had to do this. I had to learn how to control this ability so that Lupin wouldn't feel so lonely anymore.

I closed my eyes a second time and cleared my mind. I brought up the image of the black cat once again and let it fill my head. I imagined every inch of it from the tip of its ears to the end of its tail and the pads on its paws. A strange tingling started in my fingertips as I thought about the cat and slowly I felt my body start to change, only this time I didn't feel the same burning as before. I felt my bones shift and twist for several seconds before the feeling seemed to vanish. I opened my eyes to find that I once again had lost all colour vision and everything around me was a strange grey.

Lupin beamed. Somehow I had done it. I had transformed into the cat I'd imagined in my head. Seeing his smile I closed my eyes for the third time. As Lupin had told me do so beforehand, this time I imagined myself so I could return to normal, except this time without the worry of whether or not I could do it. A few moments later I was back to normal kneeling beside Lupin on the grass.

'I knew you could do it,' said Lupin proudly. 'You just needed to remember the reason why you wanted to transform and you'd be able to do so.'

I smiled. It wasn't going to be easy but as long as I remembered Lupin was the reason why I needed to learn this then I needn't be so afraid of using my gift.

I knew even though I had managed to transform once successfully I still had a long way to go before I was anywhere near good enough to do it without having to put all my concentration into it. But with the next full moon approaching I had to get the basics of it down as soon as possible so I could convince Lupin to let me try and keep him company during it. Making a list of animals to try and change into, I used every free moment I had to practice transforming into them one by one until I had mastered each of them and could change into them with relative ease and without it hurting. Each time I transformed, I would think of Lupin and why I was doing this before bringing up the image of the animal I was attempting to change into and letting the process happen. With every attempt it got that little bit easier and the pain was soon replaced by that weird tingling sensation I'd felt the very first time.

The full moon arrived barely two weeks into the holidays. I watched as Lupin grew steadily paler and began to spend more of his time asleep in his bedroom. As the days past I waited for Lupin to bring up the subject of me joining him for the full moon but it never came. Each time I brought him something to eat or drink Lupin wouldn't respond and so I would leave it on his bedside table for him to help himself to when he could. I had almost lost hope until finally on Monday evening, when I was taking Lupin some dinner, that he was awake enough to talk to me.

'I know what you are thinking,' he said as I entered, his voice tired. 'I know you want to join me tonight when I transform.'

Braving it, I replied, 'Can't I? I've been practicing really hard.'

Lupin sighed. With a struggle he pulled himself up into a sitting position so he could face me.

'Jenna, it won't be safe,' said Lupin heavily. 'I could cause you a serious injury.'

'But I won't get infected if you bit me,' I reasoned. 'I'm protected if I'm in an animal form. And you said that someone had made a potion that would help you during the full moon.'

Lupin thought through what I said. After a moment's silence, he replied.

'There is indeed a potion, called the Wolfsbane Potion, that is meant to help a werewolf keep his or her human mind when they transform. However, we have left it too late this time to try it as you need to take it in the week proceeding the full moon.' Lupin shifted uncomfortably. 'As for your ability, I cannot deny you have made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks since you first attempted it but you are still no way near as experienced as Tala was when she first took me on as a werewolf. I don't want you to get hurt.'

I held in a sigh. Lupin wasn't going to let me join him despite how much I'd practiced. On my list of animals I'd even purposely chosen to learn how to transform into a wolf so that I'd be like him during the full moon. The fact he wasn't going to let me do it made all my hard work over the last two weeks for nothing. I looked away from him, annoyed by his reaction.

'Surely that's my choice,' I muttered to myself.

Unfortunately Lupin heard me. I saw him narrow his eyes at me. I shrank back knowing I'd spoken out of turn. I watched as he stared at me as if he was seeing something in me that he recognised and had seen somewhere before. The look in his eyes slowly changed from confusion to realisation.

'Just like your mother …'

Lupin looked away from me and out of the window. Darkness had completely fallen now outside. I opened my mouth to apologise but before I could say anything, Lupin was already trying to get out of bed. He forced himself to his feet and took hold of a walking stick he had hanging on the headboard to help support him. He didn't say anything more to me as he put on his cloak over his pyjamas and proceeded to walk out of his bedroom. I followed, telling him he needed to get back into bed, but Lupin wouldn't listen to me. He struggled slowly downstairs and, flicking his wand to open it then leaving it on the hallway table, limped out of the front door. I chased after him into the front garden to find him standing there waiting in the darkness just like before.

'Lupin, what are you doing?' I panicked. 'You need to get back in bed.'

'No,' Lupin breathed. 'It's time.'

'Time for what?'

Lupin looked at me.

'You had better transform. I'll be gone in a matter of minutes.'

I don't know what I had said or done that made Lupin change his mind but it had worked. The full moon was revealed moments later as the cloud crossing it moved on and we were bathed in its white glow. I stood and watched as Lupin transformed in front me and listened to the same yells I'd heard before. Swallowing the feeling of fear I could feel trying to consume me, I closed my eyes and thought of Lupin. I was doing this for him; I had nothing to be afraid of. I let out a slow breath and thought of the wolf I had created for myself. I could see the image clearly in my head: a wolf with grey and white fur and a long sweeping tail and black freckles on its muzzle. I felt a heat rise across my skin as I felt the fur begin to grow all over my body. My bones began to shift against one another and change their shape to match that of a wolf. I opened my eyes as I fell forwards on to my hands and my transformation was complete. Where moments earlier I had stood as a human, a wolf now stood in my place ready for what was to come.

I watched as the werewolf before me straightened up and shook out its fur. It paused and sniffed the air having caught my scent. Its tail flicked up and the werewolf looked round. It saw me standing behind it and let out a low growl, baring its teeth. I hesitated unsure what to do.

 _Who are you?_ growled the werewolf, turning to face me. I had to stop myself from jumping at the fact that I could understand what it was saying. The voice wasn't Lupin's though; it didn't have the same kindness as his own voice did, instead being harsh and cruel. It took a step forwards, its large paw pressing down on the soft earth. _What are you doing here?_

I didn't respond straight away. I had to remember that whenever a werewolf transforms, he loses his human mind. This wasn't Lupin I was talking to.

 _I live in the forest_ , I replied as confidently as I could. _I was separated from my pack._

 _And what is your name?_

I paused again. I had no name for this form. I didn't think I would need one.

 _I have no name_. The werewolf observed me, its brown eyes narrowed. Although the same colour, they weren't Lupin's eyes. _Do you have a name?_

 _Like others of my kind, I have never been given one, nor do I go by my human name_ , replied the werewolf. _We werewolves are solitary creatures and have no need for such silly things as names or titles. However_ , the werewolf paused briefly, _I do recall a name I was once given by other animals. They seemed to know me or they knew my human form. They called me Moony._

 _Then I shall call you Moony_ , I replied.

 _And you_ … The werewolf walked around me, its eyes examining every inch of my body. _You are small for a wolf and have the strangest of markings._ It looked at my paws. My grey fur continued down my legs but stopped just before them. The werewolf snorted. _How … amusing. Your paws look as if you're wearing socks._

 _Maybe that's what you could call me_ , I suggested.

 _Socks?_ repeated Moony with a hint of derision. _A common Muggle name for someone's pet._

 _How about Paws then?_

 _Hmm_. Moony gave this suggestion a moment's thought. _Fine_ , he said eventually. _I shall call you Paws. For now._

The werewolf turned on its heel and began to walk off. It leapt easily over the garden hedge and out into the surrounding field. I ran after it but stopped at the gate. Moony looked back at me.

 _Are you coming?_

I looked up at the gate. I hadn't tried leaping and jumping in wolf form before. I could only walk and run. Still, now was as better reason to try as any. I backed up from the gate a few steps and prepared myself. I leapt forwards and sprang into the air. I vaulted over the gate, my paws just brushing the top. I landed with a soft thump on the ground on the other side. I stood straight and waited for the werewolf's response. Moony said nothing, instead indicating with his tail to follow him.

The night was long and cold. If it hadn't of been for my fur I would have had to stop after only an hour of being outside. As a werewolf, Lupin was very different. Moony was a silent and imposing figure, an almost strange elegance about him as he wandered the forest nearby to Moonlake Cottage. I followed silently behind him not daring to say anything more to him. For what must have been hours we walked around the surrounding land of our home. With no humans around, I saw that Moony was no more dangerous than I was. I had read that even if there were no humans to bite a werewolf was still a dangerous beast but from what I could see, this was not the case. Moony took almost no interest in me and merely continued on his way. Maybe all those documents and books had it wrong. Maybe werewolves weren't truly as bad as their reputation led them to be.

Morning came. In the distance I could see the sun beginning to rise over the hill meaning that Moony was going to transform back soon. I stood at the edge of the forest and watched it. Behind me I could hear Moony was scratching his claws on a tree. I glanced back at him. Throughout the night he had been so distant from me. It made me think that maybe Lupin wasn't as lonely as I'd originally thought. Sighing, I sat down, wrapping my tail around my back paws. A few minutes later Moony joined me.

 _Sunrise_ , he said slowly. _I'll be transforming back shortly_.

I didn't reply. I didn't really know what to say.

 _Thank you for your company tonight._ I glanced at Moony. He wasn't looking at me. _It's been a long time since anyone has been with me during these times_.

Braving it, I asked, _There were others?_

 _Yes, a long time ago_ , Moony sighed. _They were … my friends, if you can call them that. Other animals that joined me every time I transformed. They told me they knew me as a human and could be with me as animals too. I was doubtful at first but each time I changed, they were there. Under their influence I became less vicious. The smell of humans still tempts me, however, if there are none about I am able to wander as I please without the same bloodlust I used to feel_.

 _Who were they?_ I asked.

 _I do not know their human names. I never asked. But as animals, they were known as Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Hooves. I don't know what happened to them. One day they just never turned up_.

I thought about what he said. I assumed one of the names he had given was the name of my Mum's animal form. I didn't know which though and I didn't have time to ask. The werewolf had got up and was already running back to Moonklake Cottage so he could be there to transform before the sun had fully risen. I got to my paws and chased after him. I ran as fast as I could through the long grass back towards the house. It whipped at my face as I darted through it, a grey blur in amongst the yellow reeds. Without stopping I leapt back over the garden gate, landing carefully again the other side. I stopped when I saw Moony was no longer there and Lupin instead was lying on the lawn. I cleared my mind and thought of myself. I walked forwards as I transformed back. Quietly I shook Lupin awake then helped him back inside. The full moon was over for this month.

It took a week as usual for Lupin to recover. He remained in bed asleep for a lot of that time giving me time to do some homework from school in between taking care of him. By Sunday lunchtime Lupin was back to his normal self. I'd come downstairs to get myself some lunch while I took a break from my Potions homework to find him standing with his back to me in the kitchen. I could see the scar on his face had opened up again after his last transformation. He was dabbing something on to the wound to heal it.

'How are you feeling?' I asked, announcing myself.

'Much better, thank you,' Lupin replied. He winced as the potion stung his face. He then picked up his wand and flicked it so that the potion box floated back into the cupboard. Lupin faced me. 'And you? I didn't hurt you, did I?'

I shook my head, 'No. You didn't do … anything.'

Lupin gave me a curious look. I continued.

'All you did was roam the forest,' I shrugged. 'You took very little notice of me at all. But at the end, before you transformed back, you thanked me.'

'I thanked you?' Lupin repeated. He frowned. It looked like he was trying to remember what had happened. 'Yes … You were beside me and we were talking. I told you about my friends.'

'Padfoot, Prongs, Hooves and Wormtail,' I confirmed. 'You said they kept you company whenever you transformed but you didn't know who they were in human form.'

'My werewolf self doesn't know them, no,' said Lupin. 'But I do.' I gave Lupin a strange look. 'They were my friends at school. Hooves was your mother's nickname. She always transformed into a horse as it was a large enough creature to help keep me in check. As for the others, they became Animagi in their fifth-year after they discovered what I was. Each were able to transform into an animal of their own: James a stag, Sirius a dog and Peter a rat. Through their influence I became less rabid, obviously enough so that you were able to be with me last night without fear of attack.'

I guess that made sense. Moony had told me that the other animals had helped make him less vicious. As for the names, they were clever but it was clear who was who. Padfoot – a dog, Prongs – a stag, and Wormtail – a rat.

'Hang on,' I then said. 'James … do you mean James Potter?' Lupin nodded.

'James was one of my best friends,' said Lupin heavily. 'I was devastated when he and Lily died.' His brown eyes then turned to me. 'I still remember the moment you and Dumbledore returned to the Hospital Wing with Harry after his encounter with Voldemort down in the chambers of the school. Seeing the two of you together. It was like an old memory long forgotten.'

I remained silent. I didn't really know what to say to that. There was one thing, however, I still needed to ask.

'Who were Sirius and Peter?'

Lupin didn't answer straight away, instead observing me as if to see if I was ready for the information he was possibly about to tell me.

'Just people I knew once. They're both gone now.'

There was something familiar in Lupin's voice when he said that, the same reluctance. I watched as Lupin got up and left the kitchen, telling me he had some business to attend to this afternoon. I nodded and said I still had homework to finish to make it seem like I had things to do anyway. Something about what we'd been talking about had bothered him, I could tell. And I had heard it before. It was the same tone that Lupin used when I first asked him about my father last year. I frowned. I remembered the photo I had seen in Harry's book back in the Hospital Wing, of Lupin standing with James and his friends, two of which I recognised to be my parents. Now Lupin had confirmed he knew James Potter at school, I had to assume the other boy in that photo had been this Sirius or Peter he mentioned. Lupin had never mentioned my Dad by name before so the question was, which one was my father? I couldn't understand why the subject of my father seemed to be such a sensitive subject to Lupin and why he refused to talk about him any time he was mentioned. Lupin knew something, I knew he did, and somehow I was going to find out who he was.

As July came to an end Lupin informed me that once again he had to make a trip to Azkaban prison. I immediately asked not to go and to be left either at Moonlake or with my Granddad. Lupin refused saying I was still too young to be left alone and that my Granddad had gone on holiday for the summer. When I suggested sending an Owl to one of my friends Lupin dismissed that idea as well, that it was too short notice for them to take me. I had no choice but to go with him to Azkaban. Our appointment was to be the following afternoon and I was to be ready to leave Moonlake Cottage at five o'clock without any arguments.

Azkaban was as dark and as cold as it was the last time I was here. Like before Lupin Apparated us directly into the courtyard of the prison. The moment we materialised I felt the same chill spread through my body as before and I knew that meant the Dementors were somewhere floating above me. I looked cautiously into the dark sky above us; every so often a bolt of lighting illuminated it and I could see the Dementors looming ominously in the distance.

'Now remember, Jenna,' said Lupin quietly. 'Stay out of sight and hopefully the Dementors won't come after you this time.'

'Can't I just go inside with you?' I asked. 'Please don't leave me out here again.'

'Jenna, you'll be fine,' insisted Lupin. 'The Dementors are too far above you to feel your presence this time. If you stay quiet and keep out of sight then they won't attack you. You _will_ be safe.'

I stared at Lupin, begging him with my eyes not to leave me here alone again. He looked at me, gently touched my cheek, then turned away and walked inside the prison. Looking around I saw a corner in the wall that I could hide in until Lupin returned. I crept over to it as quietly as I could and crouched down so I was hidden. I wrapped my jacket around myself tightly to keep out the cold. I closed my eyes. I willed myself not to think of anything happy, knowing that if I did the Dementors would sense it and they'd be drawn to me.

 _Don't think of anything happy_ , I told myself. _Don't think of anything at all._

I used the same method to clear my head as I did whenever I was going to transform. It worked well at first but the longer I sat there, the more the atmosphere of the Azkaban began to get to me. Soon I could not stop the thoughts from entering my head. Of what had happened last year at school, of what had happened to Harry's parents, and about my Mum and Dad. Before I could stop it a wave of sadness swept over me and I opened my eyes. The air around me suddenly froze and I saw my breath mist before me, the ice rising in my lungs. I looked up and saw the Dementor swooping down to where I was crouched. It reached out its hand to me and took a long rattling breath. I gasped as I felt myself start to be torn in two the more the Dementor attacked me. A voice started to echo in my head as well as a cold cruel laugh.

 _You have the choice. Join us or suffer the penalty for disobeying the Dark Lord._

 _No, I won't. I will never join him!_

 _Crucio!_

Screams … painful screams …

 _Peter … why are you doing this? The Marauders –_

 _Them. Never did they appreciate me. Never did they treat me like their equal._

 _No, they never … They were you friends, we all were … Now though … now you show your true colours … and they are not those of Gryffindor_ …

The woman's voice was getting weaker. I knew soon enough that green light would appear. Her time was running out. I wanted to help her. I knew any moment the man with the cruel laugh would kill her. I wanted to scream for someone to help but I couldn't. I felt like I was drowning.

 _I shall give you one last chance, Black. Join us or we will kill you. Submit or die trying to fight us._

 _Then I'll die trying._

 _So be it. Do it … You'll pay for your insubordination …_

'Mum!'

I didn't realised I'd screamed that as seconds later I collapsed.

-o-

'Are you ready to give back the necklace?' asked Remus quietly. He stood with his back against the cold wall of the prison. He had his wand clasped in his hand as a precaution. 'I won't ask you again.'

'It's all I have left of my wife,' said Black heavily. He no longer had the strength or the energy to stand up and speak to Remus face to face. 'You knew how much I loved Tala. Why do you want to take that away from me as well?'

Remus glanced at Black through the bars of his cell. He could just see him through the darkness, his once handsome form wasted away and hidden in the shadows.

'And what about me, her own brother?' Remus questioned. 'You knew how much she meant to me. You saw my reaction the day you told me she was killed, the day she was taken from me, how devastated I was to hear she'd been murdered. Not a year later, my niece vanishes and is nowhere to be found. I never got to say goodbye to either of them.'

'Neither did I,' replied Black. 'And Jenna was my daughter. Do you not think I regret what happened to her? She was everything to me, she was all I had left of my family.'

There was a brief silence after Black had finished speaking. Remus continued to observe Black. As genuine as his words sounded, it would not make up for everything he'd done in the past.

'Why are you here, Moony?' Black then asked. 'Why do you come for answers you'll never get? I don't know why they killed Tala, nor do I know who, and I don't know what happened to Jenna that night.'

'For the small chance I might one day get the answers I seek,' replied Remus. 'The answers to the questions I've been asking for years. Why Tala? Why kill her, what had she done? Where is my niece? Would I ever find her? And why did you do it? Why did you betray James and Lily?'

'There is no point in me telling you again that I did not betray James and Lily,' sighed Black. 'You wouldn't believe me even if I did. As for your other questions, you know I have no answers to them when I ask myself the same ones every passing day. Asking myself if there was any possibility that my daughter is still alive.'

Black turned away, settling into the darkness of his cell.

'You might as well leave, Moony,' finished Black. 'Like you said last time: the necklace rightfully belongs to Jenna. If I ever see her again – if she's even alive – _I_ will be the one to give it to her. For now … I'm keeping it.'

Remus let out a frustrated sigh and turned away. Black had always been too stubborn for his own good even when they had been at school and still, despite being surrounded by Dementors and sentenced to life in Azkaban, he refused to tell Remus what he must know about Tala's death. When Black and Tala were together they were inseparable and so to this day Remus had been asking himself why. Why did his best friend go to the dark side and let Tala die? Why did he betray James and Lily? Why did he abandon his daughter? But no matter how much Remus persisted, Black would not answer him. Remus was never going to get the answers he needed to accept Tala was gone.

Remus stepped into the courtyard. The icy chill in the air hit him like a Stunner. He knew what that meant. His eyes searched the courtyard for Jenna. In the corner he saw the Dementor floating over her just like before only this time it could not reach her. Standing over Jenna, protecting her from the Dementor's attack, was a large white horse. It glowed brightly in the darkness, its translucent body fully formed despite the fact its conjurer was currently unconscious. The horse seemed to look at Lupin before rearing up and chasing the Dementor away.

'Hooves …' Remus couldn't believe what he had seen. 'But how …?'

There was no way Jenna could have produced that Patronus. She was barely twelve years old. How could she have conjured a fully corporeal Patronus when she didn't have the necessary skill nor knew the incantation? How could Hooves be protecting her?

Remus ran over to Jenna. He carefully picked her up in his arms, feeling her forehead. She was ice cold and her skin was very pale. The Dementors had affected her worse this time around; a few minutes longer and she would have died. Remus knew he shouldn't have brought her with him after the last time but he couldn't just leave her on her own, nor could he allow her to meet Black and find out what her father was. It would devastate her knowing her father was responsible for James and Lily's murder. Looking up Remus saw the white horse standing beside him. It was gazing down at Jenna, its muzzle gently nudging her hair. Remus smiled.

'Always protecting her,' Remus said to it. He gave a nod of his head. With that, the Patronus vanished, a silvery mist all that was left. Standing straight, Remus Disapparated.

-o-

I woke with a start, my eyes snapping open. I expected to see the Dementor still floating above me only to see the ceiling of my bedroom instead. My head was pounding and I could barely move. It felt as if my magic had been drained this time as well, not just my happiness. I forced my head on to its side and saw a large block of chocolate sitting on my bedside table. I struggled as I reached for it, my hand shaking, taking a bite from a large piece in order to regain some of my strength. As soon as I felt the chocolate on my tongue a warmth began to spread through my body and I was finally able to sit up. A moment later there was a knock at my door. Lupin opened it and stepped quietly inside.

'How are you feeling?' he asked gently. I swallowed the piece of chocolate I was eating and nodded, taking another bite. 'Make sure you finish that,' said Lupin firmly. 'The Dementors attack on you was far worse this time.'

Lupin came and sat on my bed beside me as I went for my third piece of chocolate. He silently watched as I sucked on it, his eyes full of concern for my wellbeing. He reached out a hand gently stroked my face.

'I'm so sorry, Jenna,' he said sadly. 'I know I shouldn't have taken you there again but I just couldn't leave you here alone.'

'It's OK,' I mumbled. My voice was sore. I swallowed the last piece of chocolate, glad to finally feel my energy restored. 'I know why you did it.'

'It still doesn't excuse me putting you in danger,' reasoned Lupin.

'It doesn't matter,' I said. I sat up more in my bed. There was something I needed to tell him. 'I saw Mum again,' I told Lupin, 'and the people who killed her.'

Lupin's eyes widened slightly. He stared at me, a sense of urgency in his brown eyes.

'I saw them, heard their voices. They were much clearer this time. The man with white hair – the one who killed her. And his companions, there were two of them: a short squat wizard and another with black hair and grey eyes.'

'Go on.' Lupin was listening to what I said very carefully. Something about what I'd said had spooked him. 'What else did you see?'

'I could hear what they were saying,' I said, trying to remember. 'One of them mocked her … the Marauders.' I noticed Lupin react to this but I didn't know why, not understanding the importance of what I had said. 'The other, he was ordered to kill her but he refused. He was going to be punished because of it.' I looked up at Lupin. I could feel the tears falling down my cheeks. 'I wanted to help her but I couldn't. I screamed but no one heard me.'

'Its all right, Jenna,' Lupin said immediately. He wrapped his arms protectively round me. 'It's all right.' Lupin held me for a few minutes as I cried silently into his robes. When my tears finally subsided, he released me. 'I suggest you do not dwell on this,' said Lupin softly. 'It does not do to dwell on those who are lost to us. Only to remember that they live on in our memories and in our hearts.'

'What do you mean?' I asked. Lupin smiled.

'Somehow, I don't know how, you managed to produce a Patronus,' Lupin told me. What was one of those? Lupin continued when he saw my confusion. 'A Patronus is a magical guardian which protects the castor from Dementors. It creates a sort of positive shield for the Dementors to feed on instead of themselves. It explains why you're so drained of energy.'

'But how could I do any magic?' I asked. 'I don't even know how to cast a – a Patronus.'

'I'm not entirely sure,' said Lupin, 'but I do know one thing. Each Patronus takes on a particular form that reflects the wizard who conjures it, like with Animagi. What intrigued me the most is what form your Patronus took.'

'What was it?' I asked.

'A horse,' said Lupin. 'The exact same horse your mother used to transform into during the full moon. My guess is that through your desire to help her when you heard her screams, you somehow managed to conjure the Patronus because of its connection to your mother. It seems that Tala will always be around to protect you.'

That was the first time I ever produced a Patronus. I was surprised as much as Lupin at how I'd done it when I hadn't done anything that was necessary to cast the charm. I didn't know the spell for one thing, nor did I have my wand to hand at the time or had I thought of a happy memory to power it. The one thing that did make me happy though was the face that its form was a horse like my Mum and, like Lupin had said, it was almost as if she'd always be around to protect me.

On the final day of July was Harry's birthday. For it I had bought him a small book about Quidditch and a card that arrived at Moonlake Cottage just in time for me to use Gizmo to deliver them to him. Due to being so busy over the summer I hadn't yet written to Harry, Ron or Hermione but I made sure I made the effort to send him something for his twelfth birthday, knowing full well that his aunt and uncle would have simply treated it as any other day. When Gizmo finally returned the next day I was surprised to see he was empty handed. Not that I was expecting anything from Harry, Ron or Hermione for my birthday that coming Wednesday, I would have thought Harry would at least say thank you for his gift.

The same day Gizmo returned, however, I got another Owl this time from Ron. I had been sitting in my room when I heard a strange screeching followed by a thump at my window. Curious, I got up and peered outside. What looked like a ragged feather duster was lying in a heap amongst the flowers in the window box. Upon closer inspection I saw it was a very old grey owl. It had a letter lying on its chest as it panted from exhaustion. I took the letter from its beak. Seconds later the bird had gotten to its claws and flown off. I watched as it flew off before closing the window again and opening the letter.

 _Dear Jenna,  
_ _Have you heard from Harry at all this summer? I wrote to  
_ _him a week ago now to wish him a happy birthday but he  
_ _never replied. Hermione says he hasn't replied to any of her  
_ _letters this summer either. She's worried that something might  
_ _of happened to him. Fred, George and I are going to look into  
_ _it over the next couple of days._

 _Let me know if you've heard anything. Also, happy birthday  
_ _for later this week. I'll send you a card once Errol's back from  
_ _this delivery though it might be a little late. I didn't think he'd be  
_ _able to manage both the letter and the card together._

 _I hope you have an owl to send your reply.  
_ _Ron_

Ron hadn't heard from Harry either, nor had Hermione. Quickly I grabbed a quill and scribbled a note to Ron telling him that I too had not heard from Harry and now I was getting concerned after hearing they hadn't either. I also asked him to let me know if anything happens. I folded it and put it in an envelope for Gizmo to deliver. I went downstairs into the living room where Gizmo's perch was to find him happily asleep with his head under his wing. I pulled an Owl Treat out of my pocket and held it up for him to notice. Gizmo woke up at the smell of the treat. He let out a hoot then took the treat from my fingers. Once eaten, he flew on to my shoulder waiting to receive his letter. I held it up for him to take in his beak. He did so then, with a flap of his wings, Gizmo flew off through the open window to deliver the letter to Ron.

The letter from Ron wasn't the only one I received in the following weeks. One morning during breakfast a tawny owl I recognised as one of the Hogwarts school owls delivered my letter for my second year of school. It was much thinner than the one I had received the previous year and there had been one or two changes made to the books and equipment I would need for the coming year.

 _Dear Miss Black,  
_ _Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment for your second year at Hogwarts  
_ _School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
_

 _Term begins on 1 September. Please catch the Hogwarts Express from Platform Nine and Three-  
_ _Quarters at King's Cross Station. It will leave at eleven o'clock sharp._

 _Yours sincerely  
_ _Minerva McGonagall  
_ _Deputy Headmistress_

My equipment list certainly made me raise my eyebrow at it. While the uniform was pretty much the same, it was our book list that confused me.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
_

Uniform  
 _Second-year students will require:  
_ _1\. Three sets of robes in their House colours  
_ _2\. One tie in their House colours  
3\. One cardigan, jumper or pullover in their House colours_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags and should be repaired or replaced  
_ _if necessary._

Set Books  
 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
_ _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ by Miranda Goshawk  
 _Break with a Banshee_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Gadding with Ghouls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Holidays with Hags_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Travels with Trolls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Voyages with Vampires_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Wanderings with Werewolves_ by Gilderoy Lockhart  
 _Year with the Yeti_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

Other Equipment  
 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 3)_

 _Second year students are also allowed to bring a broomstick if they choose._

I wrinkled my nose as I read that our entire book collection was by one wizard. I'd heard of this Gilderoy Lockhart before. He'd been in the _Daily Prophet_ recently. He was going to be doing a book signing at Flourish and Blotts for his new book, _Magical Me_ or something like that. I'd seen a picture of him and he looked extremely pompous, grinning at the camera and posing from side to side. If we were required all his books for our second year of school, I hope that didn't mean he was going to be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. That was the only teaching vacancy there was considering Quirrell was no longer employed to put it one way.

No sooner had I put down my letter from Hogwarts did I receive two more letters. The first was from Ron judging by the fact that once again it was delivered by the moth-eaten owl, Errol, and the second was from Hermione. Ron and his brothers had rescued Harry from his home having discovered him with bars on his windows and was now at The Burrow, Ron's house, having been there since the start of August. I was glad to know he was all right although I frowned when I read that they had rescued him in their father's flying car. The letter from Hermione was a lot longer and contained all her concerns about Harry and Ron getting in trouble and not doing anything illegal to rescue him before mentioning that she was going to Diagon Alley next Wednesday to get her school supplies for the year and that we should meet up then. I checked with Lupin if that was doable before replying to both their letters.

With the full moon having passed in the middle of August, Lupin saw no problem with taking me to Diagon Alley on the following Wednesday. Besides all the new books I needed to get for the coming year, I also needed to restock my general supplies like my quills and parchment so there was quite a bit I had to buy while we were there. I also needed to visit Gringotts as I only had a few Galleons leftover from the previous year having spent most of them on various bits and pieces during my first year of school. I looked down at the Gryffindor hooded jumper I was wearing and smiled; there was a small shop in the castle that sold Hogwarts clothing and memorabilia that the students could buy and so I'd bought myself the top to wear at Quidditch matches. It was one of my favourite jumpers. Checking what else I needed by rummaging through my desk, I made a list and left it in my school bag so I wouldn't forget it when we went to Diagon Alley.

On Wednesday morning Lupin and I Apparated to Charing Cross where the Leaky Cauldron was located. While I was to meet up with Hermione and the others, Lupin was going to take the opportunity to work on some research he'd been doing over the summer. Hermione arrived at just after ten o'clock with her parents. She greeted me with a hug, her bushy hair covering my face like usual, before introducing me to her mum and dad. I smiled politely as she did so. Introductions over, we walked out of the back entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and stopped in front of the wall separating us from Diagon Alley. Hermione drew out her wand and tapped the correct brick for us. The wall opened up allowing us access to the street behind.

Diagon Alley was as busy as usual. It looked as if every Hogwarts student was here to get their new school supplies. There were certainly a lot of middle-aged witches about today. As we walked up the street towards Gringotts Hermione told me all about her summer and how she couldn't wait for the new school year to begin. She was particularly excited about reading all of our new books. I raised my eyebrow as she started to blush at the mention of Gilderoy Lockhart. When she asked me about how my holidays had been, I hesitated. I wasn't entirely sure what to tell her. I ended up shrugging, saying that nothing much had really happened.

'So what time are we meeting Ron and Harry?' I asked, changing the subject.

'Ronald didn't give me a time when he and his family are getting here,' said Hermione. 'His letter just said they'd meet us at Gringotts.'

When we reached the marble steps of the bank Harry and the Weasleys weren't there. I wondered where they were. Normally you could see a Weasley a mile off with their red hair. At least fifteen minutes had passed before we caught sight of them. I had seen a flash of red in the distance near to Quality Quidditch Supplies but there was no sign of Harry amongst them. His black hair would stand out in contrast to theirs.

'There are the Weasleys,' I said, pointing at them, 'but I can't see Harry with them.'

Hermione was standing on her toes to look over the crowd. Suddenly she squealed.

'There he is!' she shouted. 'Harry! Harry! Over here!'

I looked in the direction she'd pointed. Sure enough there was Harry, covered in soot and dirt, walking towards us with Hagrid's towering figure behind him. Hermione ran off, me just behind her, and through the crowd towards them. Harry saw us. He smiled broadly looking very glad to see us.

'It's so good to see you again,' I said when I reached him. It had been strange not seeing him as often as I used to before I was adopted. I gave Harry a hug, Harry returning it. 'Summer's been really quiet without you.'

'It's good to see you too, Jenna,' said Harry. 'Privet Drive was certainly a lot duller this year too.'

I smiled, remembering all the things Harry and I used to do to occupy ourselves during the holidays. Sneaking him out of Privet Drive was always tricky when his aunt had eyes like a hawk so we had to be very creative to get him past her watchful eye.

'Hi, Hermione, did you have a good summer?'

'Oh yes,' gushed Hermione. She always talked fast when she was excited about something. 'I got all our homework finished within the first week and so had plenty to go over all our first-year work ready for September.' It was then she noticed Harry's appearance. 'What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid … Oh, it's _wonderful_ to see you two again … Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?'

'As soon as I've found the Weasleys,' said Harry.

'Yeh won't have long ter wait,' Hagrid told us, grinning.

Through the crowd I saw Ron, Fred, George and Percy running towards us with their father following behind them. All were covered in soot just like Harry was and they all looked very relieved to have found us. I guess Harry must have gotten separated from them when they Flooed here, judging by how dirty they were.

'Harry,' panted Mr Weasley. He smiled at us. Like his sons, Mr Weasley was a tall thin wizard with the same mop of red hair on his head that I could see was starting to recede. He lifted his glasses so he could wipe the sweat off his brow. 'We _hoped_ you'd only gone one grate too far … Molly's frantic – she's coming now.'

I looked round to see another two red-haired witches heading towards us. In comparison to her husband and sons, Mrs Weasley was a plump witch and was much shorter than the rest of them. Even Ron at twelve years old was almost as tall as her. She was pushing her way through the crowd over to us, her hand tightly holding on to her daughter and her handbag swinging wildly in the other. A look of relief rushed over her face when she saw Harry was with us.

'Oh, Harry – oh, my dear – you could have been anywhere –'

Mrs Weasley pulled Harry away from where he'd been talking to Ron and his brothers. From her handbag she pulled out a large clothes brush and began sweeping the soot off him. Mr Weasley took Harry's glasses from him and gave them a tap with his wand, instantly repairing them.

'Where you must have come out – Merlin only knows –' Mrs Weasley was muttering. 'So glad Hagrid found you - and who are these two?' Mrs Weasley then asked when she spotted me and Hermione.

'Mum, this is Hermione and Jenna,' said Ron. 'They're in Gryffindor with Harry and me.'

'Pleasure to meet you, dears,' said Mrs Weasley. 'You both got to Diagon Alley safely?'

'My parents and I got the train,' said Hermione.

'And my Uncle dropped me off,' I said. 'He's working on some research while I get my things,' I added when I saw Mrs Weasley frown. 'He's picking me up later.'

'Well as long as you haven't been left on your own,' Mrs Weasley said. 'I'm sure we'll manage another to our number, won't we, Arthur?'

'The more the merrier,' said Mr Weasley, smiling at me.

Once Hagrid had said goodbye to us, we proceeded to go into Gringotts. All of us needed to visit our vaults to get some gold out to pay for our school equipment while Hermione needed to change some Muggle money with her parents. I looked at them to see they were standing very nervously at the doors to the bank. Lupin had left me the key to my vault and the instruction to only take enough gold for the coming school year. As I had observed last year when I first saw inside my vault, I didn't think I could spend the amount I had in there in an entire lifetime. As walked up the steps, Harry had something rather intriguing to tell us.

'Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?' he said to us. It was a shop in Knockturn Alley; that was where he'd arrived after Floo-ing here and being separated from the Weasleys. 'Malfoy and his father.'

'What were they doing in there?' I asked.

'Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?' said Mr Weasley sharply behind us. We all looked at him.

'No, he was selling,' said Harry, confused.

'So he's worried,' said Mr Weasley. There was a note of grim satisfaction in his voice. 'Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something …'

By the sounds of it, this Lucius Malfoy was as unpleasant as his son Draco was. Malfoy had been a constant source of antagonism for Harry and the rest of us last year.

'You be careful, Arthur,' warned Mrs Weasley. She was ushering us into the bank. The goblin who bowed us in seemed to watch us cautiously as we were such a big group. 'That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew.'

'So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?' replied Mr Weasley indignantly. 'I'll have you know – oh, you must be Hermione's parents!' he then said when he caught sight of Mr and Mrs Granger standing nervously behind us all.

'Mum, Dad, this is Mr Weasley,' Hermione introduced them. 'Mr Weasley, this are my parents. Jean and Simon Granger.'

'But you're _Muggles!_ ' beamed Mr Weasley. He shook their hands with great enthusiasm. 'We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look! Paper money!'

'Dad works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office,' Ron told me and Hermione when he noticed our bemused looks at Mr Weasley's reaction to Hermione's parents. 'He loves Muggles. When he first saw Harry, he kept asking him about what a rubber duck does. We'll meet you back here,' he then added when Mrs Weasley called us to go down to our vaults.

A large cart was waiting for us on the tracks to take us down to our various vaults. The Weasleys, Harry and I piled into the cart while the goblin took the front seat and we set off into the darkness. The ride was as unpleasant as it was the previous year; at least I had plaited my hair beforehand and so it wasn't whipping my face like it did last time. Our first stop was the Weasley's vault that was barely a few hundred feet below the surface. I remained in the cart as Mrs Weasley got out to get some gold. A swell of guilt rose in my chest as I watched her sweep the entire contents into her handbag. I swore I also saw Ron's ears turn pink. I'd known they didn't have much gold but actually seeing they didn't was something else. Next was Harry's. Like mine there was a considerable amount of gold inside it and Harry did his best to be quick so the Weasleys couldn't see inside it. Our last stop was vault seven hundred and nine, the deepest of our three vaults. I hastily filled my purse with a few piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts before letting the goblin close the door behind me. Getting back into the cart we shot back up to the surface and rejoined Hermione and her parents. I certainly was glad to have my feet back on solid ground.

Mr Weasley, who had been taking a great interest in helping Mr and Mrs Granger change their Muggle money, waved to us where we got back to the main hall. Together we left the bank and walked back outside. Here we separated once more. Percy went off on his own while Fred and George had spotted their friend Lee Jordan somewhere in the crowds. Mrs Weasley was taking Ron's younger sister Ginny to get some second-hand robes as she was starting Hogwarts this year and Mr Weasley was still insisting on taking Mr and Mrs Granger for drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs Weasley instructed us that we were to all meet back at Flourish and Blotts in an hour's time so we could get our new school books.

'And not one step down Knockturn Alley!' she shouted at the twin's retreating backs.

Our first stop was Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. At Harry's insistence he bought each of us a large strawberry and peanut butter ice cream that we happily ate as we wandered through Diagon Alley. We walked down the cobbled street looking into the various shop windows. Ron looked longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannons robes in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged him away so that we could go into Scribbulus' next door. Slowly the four of us bought all that we needed for the coming year and, having some spare time we decided to go into Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. Fred and George were in there with their friend Lee Jordan. In their arms they had piles of 'Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks'; Fred and George were quite the couple of pranksters I'd learnt over the previous year and I privately wondered what they were planning to do with all those fireworks. When we left the Joke Shop we then saw Ron's other brother Percy in the junk shop looking at a very old book called _Prefects Who Gained Power_. Percy quickly shooed us away when he saw us.

'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy,' said Ron as we slumped out the shop, 'he's got it all planned out … he wants to be Minister for Magic …'

When we reached Flourish and Blotts there was a large crowd gathered trying to get into the small bookstore. Dozens of witches were all trying to get inside, pushing and shoving each other to get the best position to see whatever it was going on inside. On the shop front I saw a banner had been posted on the upper widows, its gold swirly writing glinting in the summer sun.

 _GILDEROY LOCKHART  
_ _will be signing copies of his autobiography  
_ MAGICAL ME  
 _today 12.30 – 4.30 pm_

I held in a groan. That explained why there were so many witches about all trying to get into Flourish and Blotts. They were all desperate to see this Gilderoy Lockhart person. There were dozens of copies of his new book in the shop window; he looked equally as pompous on the cover as he conjured lighting in the photo as he had in the _Prophet_ a few weeks ago. At the front door a rather harassed-looking wizard was attempting to control the flow of customers. I felt quite sorry for him having to try and placate all these desperate witches. Even Hermione seemed quite taken with the idea that we were going to get to see him.

'We can actually meet him!' she whispered excitedly to me more than the boys. 'I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!'

I wrinkled my nose as the four of us went inside.

Flourish and Blotts was even more crowded inside than it had been outside the shop. Carefully the four of us slipped through the long queue that was stretching the length of the shop, grabbing ourselves each a copy of _Break with a Banshee_ as we made our way over to where we could see Mrs Weasley and the other Weasleys already near the front of the queue with Mr and Mrs Granger.

'Oh, there you are, good,' said Mrs Weasley. She sounded rather flustered as she flattened her hair. She suddenly then began patting us down. I recoiled slightly when she tucked a few loose strands of my hair behind my ear. Ron had to bat her hand away when she tried to rub some leftover soot off his nose. 'We'll be able to see him in a minute …'

I ducked away from Mrs Weasley as she attempted to smarten up how I had my bag hung on my shoulder, hiding behind Hermione who was neatening herself as well. Not that I minded the fuss, I'd never had anyone fuss over my appearance before the way Mrs Weasley did, I didn't quite see what the point was just for a book signing. I gave my head a bit of a shake to release the loose strands of my hair again then leaned over to see round Hermione at whatever was going on at the front of the shop.

From a back room Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into the view and took a seat at a table that was piled high with copies of his book. He flashed a horribly cheerful and gleaming white grin at the crowd mirroring the same smiles that were on the large pictures behind him. He wore a pair of smart blue robes that matched the pointed hat on his head that he'd set at an angle so as to show off his wavy blonde hair. I raised my eyebrow. If anything he looked more pompous in person than he did in his photos. In front of us a short irritable wizard was busy taking more photographs of Lockhart which he was thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to pose for the camera. He snapped at Ron despite standing on his foot as he tried to get past.

'Big deal,' muttered Ron.

He leant on Harry as he rubbed his foot. Lockhart heard him. He looked over to where Ron was standing beside Harry. His eyes took on the same wide look that everyone seemed to get whenever they first laid eyes on him. He leapt to his feet.

'It _can't_ be Harry Potter?' he practically shouted.

An excited whisper suddenly went round the front of the shop. Harry looked startled at Ron, Hermione and me. Next moment Lockhart had dived at us and seized Harry's arm, pulling him out of the crowd. I saw Harry's face grow bright red as Lockhart forced him to shake hands and stand at the front with him as the photographer continued to snap away. I waved my hand in front of my face as thick black smoke from the camera wafted over us. Lockhart raised his hand to wave for quiet, his other arm now wrapped around Harry's shoulders stopping him from escaping.

'Ladies and gentlemen,' said Lockhart loudly. The crowd hushed. 'What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

'When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge –' there was a spattering of applause through the crowd, '– he had _no idea_ ,' Lockhart continued, 'that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, _Magical Me_. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have the great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!'

The crowd applauded the news. Hermione was beside herself, beaming at me. Even Ginny let out an excited squeal. My mouth fell open. He was going to be teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts? He seemed like a total airhead, regardless of whatever his books said he'd done. Lockhart didn't look like he could teach an owl to hoot let alone a whole school of students how to defend himself. Still I held in my doubts; I knew not to judge a wizard by his robes. In amongst the commotion caused by this announcement Lockhart had shoved a pile of books into Harry's hands and he'd finally staggered away back over to us. He quickly dumped them into Ginny's cauldron before pushing his way over to me. Hermione and Ron were both trying to get their books.

'Having fun?' I asked him. Harry sent me a look.

'Loads,' he replied dryly.

'Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?'

Harry and I looked round when we heard a familiar unpleasant drawl come from behind us. Walking down a set of stairs that led from the upper level of the shop, Malfoy glared at us with the same sneer of his face as usual. He stopped in front of us, his arms folded as he looked down his nose at us.

' _Famous_ Harry Potter,' he sneered. 'Can't even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page.'

'Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!' said Ginny. It was the first time I'd heard her speak since I met her a few hours ago. She sounded quite confident for a first-year as she glared at Malfoy.

'Potter, you've got yourself a _girlfriend_ ,' drawled Malfoy.

Ginny went bright red. Behind us Ron and Hermione had bought there books and were trying to get over to where we were.

'Oh, it's you,' said Ron when he saw Malfoy. 'Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?'

'Not as surprised I am to see you in a shop, Weasley,' retorted Malfoy. 'I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot.'

Ron's face went as red as Ginny's. We had to grab his jacket when he started towards Malfoy. Malfoy grinned having seen he'd gotten a rise out of Ron. Just then a tip of a staff with a snake's head for a handle appeared on his shoulder. I looked at who this new arrival was. A tall man with long white hair was looking down at Malfoy with a proud air about him, his grey eyes observing the scene before him.

 _A young witch cornered in an alley, three figures approaching her … A man with white hair raising his wand …_

I gasped as those images flashed over my eyes. I blinked, shaking them from my mind. When I looked up again at the man now standing behind Malfoy I felt a wave of fear rush over me. It was him – the white haired man from my dreams. The wizard who'd killed my mother. Several emotions seemed to try to consume me until one prevailed. I swallowed my fear and stood resolutely in front of him. A sudden determination rose in my chest. I was not going to let him intimidate me like he tried to do so to my Mum.

'Now, now, Draco, play nicely,' said the man, his tone sharp and cold.

It didn't take much for me to guess this was Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy. He had the same pale pointed face as his son and long white blond hair flowing down his shoulders. His grey eyes were watching us carefully, looking at each of us in turn. He was dressed in expensive black robes from the looks of it and had a black cane clasped lightly in his hand. After a moment or so his eyes landed on Harry and I saw him look at the scar on his forehead.

'Mr Potter,' he said. Mr Malfoy extended his hand to Harry. 'Lucius Malfoy, we meet at last. Forgive me,' Mr Malfoy pulled Harry forwards when he shook his hand; he used the mouth of the snake handle to pull back his fringe to get a proper look at his scar. 'Your scar is legend,' he said quietly, 'as of course is the wizard who gave it to you.'

'Voldemort killed my parents,' replied Harry calmly. He pulled his hand away and stepped back towards Ron, Hermione and me. 'He was nothing more than a murderer.'

'You must be very brave to mention his name,' observed Mr Malfoy. There was a small smile on his lips. 'Or very foolish.'

'Fear of a name only increase fear of the thing itself,' I said. It was something I remembered Lupin telling me some time ago. It was something Professor Dumbledore had apparently told him when he was a student at Hogwarts. I glared at Mr Malfoy as his eyes turned to me.

'Now, now, who do we have here?' said Mr Malfoy. He lifted his walking cane so that it was under my chin. He raised my face so he could look at it, the snake handle digging in. 'Well, well, if it isn't Tala's daughter,' he said smoothly. There was a faint smile on his face. 'Such a pity, to die at the hands of three Death Eaters at such a young age.' Out of the corner of my eye I could see the others staring at me. I had never mentioned how my Mum had died to them. 'Such a surprise to see you looking so lively.'

I pulled my face away from his staff. Mr Malfoy watched me for a second longer before he saw Hermione and Ron next to me.

'And you must be Miss Granger,' he continued. 'Yes, Draco's told me all about you, and your parents. Muggles aren't they? And let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions,' his eyes caught sight of Ginny's old cauldron, 'tatty second hand books. You must be the Weasleys.'

'Ron!' Mr Weasley's voice called to us over the crowd. He, Fred and George were pushing their way over to us. 'What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside.'

'Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley.'

Mr Weasley looked away from us to see Mr Malfoy. His face stiffened.

'Lucius,' he replied curtly.

'Busy time at the Ministry, I hear,' continued Mr Malfoy. 'All those raids … I hope they're paying you overtime?' I watched as Mr Malfoy reached into Ginny's cauldron and pulled out an old copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_. His eyes examined with a hint of disgust evident in them. 'Obviously not,' Mr Malfoy finished. 'Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it.'

If it was possible Mr Weasley flushed an even darker shade of red than Ron and Ginny.

'We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy,' said Mr Weasley.

'Clearly,' replied Mr Malfoy. His eyes glanced over to Hermione's parents; they were watching us with the same nerves as earlier. 'The company you keep, Weasley … and I thought your family could sink no lower.'

Ginny's cauldron was knocked from her hands with a clang as Mr Weasley lunged at Mr Malfoy, knocking him back into a bookcase. Dozens of heavy books fell on top of them while the piles either side of them collapsed. Fred and George were cheering on their father as Mrs Weasley's shriek of 'No, Arthur, no!' could be heard over the commotion. Harry and the rest of us were caught in the stampede as wizards and witches tried to get out of their way while the shop assistant attempted to separate the two older wizards.

'Break it up, there, gents, break it up!' boomed a loud voice over everyone else.

Hagrid waded through the sea of books over to Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy. He seized both of them by the neck of their robes and pulled them apart. Both were sporting minor injuries; Mr Weasley had a small cut on his lip where Mr Malfoy's staff had caught him and Mr Malfoy had the beginnings of a bruise on his eye. He pulled his robes from Hagrid's grip then thrust Ginny's old Transfiguration book back at her.

'Here, girl – take your book –' he spat, '– it's the best your father can give you –'

Beckoning Malfoy, he turned and left the shop. Malfoy gave us one last smirk then followed after him.

'Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur,' said Hagrid. He pulled Arthur up, almost off his feet, and helped brush him down. 'Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Bad blood, that's what it is. come on now – let's get outta here.'

The shop assistant looked very relieved when all of us left. Mrs Weasley was beside herself with fury at her husband's actions while Hermione's parents were white as sheets from the events that had unfolded before them by a bunch of very strange people in their opinion. I don't think they'd ever seen a man as tall and as large as Hagrid before. We walked in a group back up the street towards the Leaky Cauldron and said our goodbyes before going our separate ways. Hermione and her parents walked out the other side of the pub to return to Muggle London, much to Mr and Mrs Granger's relief by the looks of it, while Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys Flooed back to The Burrow. I still had a few hours to wait for Lupin to be finished with his research and so, despite Mrs Weasley's concerns, I took a seat in the corner of the pub to wait for him to come pick me up.

'Is everything all right, Jenna? You've been quiet all afternoon.'

I looked up from my plate at Lupin. We were having dinner but my mind was elsewhere. Lupin must have noticed my distractedness judging by the look of concern on his face once he'd gained my attention. I had been quiet since the Weasleys and Hermione had left me at the Leaky Cauldron. I couldn't stop thinking about our encounter with Malfoy's dad in Flourish and Blotts. I put down my fork and pushed my plate away from me.

'Lupin, what can you tell me about the Malfoys?' I asked. Lupin gave me a strange look.

'Why do you want to know about them?' he said.

'It's just – I met Draco Malfoy's father today in Diagon Alley,' I explained, 'and something about him scared me but I don't know what. He just seemed familiar to me but I've never met him before today.'

'Hmm.'

Lupin thought through what I'd said for a moment or two before finally answering my question.

'The Malfoys are another one of the ancient pure-blood families, like the Blacks and the Weasleys,' Lupin told me. 'They're also one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families I told you about a while ago. Many of these families are related to one another in some manner and can be connected through both blood and marriage, while they can also be connected to those who they deem more disgraceful, if you will, to be related to whether they are families who have married Muggle-borns, half-bloods or Muggles, or simply those who are considered to be blood traitors.'

'Like the Weasleys?' I asked. 'Mr Malfoy called the Weasleys a disgrace to the name of wizard.'

Lupin nodded.

'Some families, like the Malfoys, consider blood purity to be very important,' said Lupin, 'whereas some pure-blood families, like the Weasleys, have no interest in keeping their bloodlines pure. If every wizarding family had done that we would have died out years ago. The only way for them to maintain their heritage over the centuries was through marrying into other families who shared the same views and purity, which eventually meant that the choice became very limited.'

'Does that mean I'm related to the Malfoys?' I said.

'If I'm correct, your father's uncle was the father of three daughters, one of whom married into the Malfoy family,' said Lupin, 'which would make Lucius your cousin by marriage and his wife a cousin by blood, and this Draco Malfoy you've mentioned to me your cousin once removed. Through his daughters I believe you are also related to the Lestranges and the Tonkses. While I've never met the Tonks family, I am aware the Lestranges share the same views as the Malfoys.'

'So, if the Malfoys dislike families like the Weasleys,' I persisted, 'does that mean they were supporters of Voldemort?'

'They were,' said Lupin. 'Lucius Malfoy was even rumoured to be within Voldemort's inner circle during the First Wizarding War, as was his sister-in-law, Bellatrix. When Voldemort lost his power, the Malfoys were one of the first families to defect back to our side, claiming they had been coerced into doing the Dark Lord's bidding. Due to his reputation and influence, the Ministry cleared Malfoy of all the charges against him and he was reinstated in his position on the Board of Governors for Hogwarts.'

'What were the charges?'

'To my knowledge, the main ones were his uses of the Unforgivable Curses, three spells where their use is a guaranteed sentence in Azkaban. His wand couldn't hide the fact he'd used these spells and so he was charged with the torture of several wizards and Muggles alike, one of his last usages of them being the murder of a young witch. But, because they couldn't prove he hadn't been under the Imperious Curse, there was no way to prove he was guilty of them.'

I sat there in silence when Lupin had finished. I was shocked. Lupin knew Mr Malfoy had been charged with murder but had been cleared on a mere technicality. He just didn't know it had been the murder of my Mum that he had gotten away with. I felt a shiver go down my spine. I was related to this monster of a wizard, a man guilty of using spells that were considered Unforgivable, to someone who considered blood purity to be more important than a person's life. I shuddered to think whom else I could possibly be related to.

* * *

AN: so the majority of this chapter has been rewritten and extends all the way to the end of the summer this time. changes include hopefully going into better and deeper detail about my creation of the Feramorph and why Jenna is one and her learning of her connections to other wizarding families. I thought the twist at the end, where Lupin reveals he knows of Lucius Malfoy's part in a murder but not that it was Tala's, was a pretty good one that I can hopefully use again later on. I also look forward to working more with the differences between Lupin's human and werewolf personas as he can remember what happens during the full moon whereas a werewolf has no knowledge of his human life, and so his interactions with Jenna during his transformations


	10. The Whisper Inside the Wall

Chapter 9

The Whisper Inside the Wall

Before I knew it, it was September first. With everything packed in my trunk including all my new school books as well as my Thunderbolt III, as second-year students were allowed to have brooms at Hogwarts now, Lupin took me to King's Cross Station to catch the Hogwarts Express back to Hogwarts for the next school year. We arrived with plenty of time to spare and so made our way up to where the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was hidden. Dozens of families were striding up the walkway between platforms nine and ten, their children dragging various trunks and pets alongside them before vanishing through the wall without a single notice being taken by the Muggles around us. Lupin and I passed through the barrier and on to the platform, the Hogwarts Express gleaming in front of us waiting to take us back to the school.

'Jenna! Over here!'

I looked through the crowds when I heard my name being called. I could just see the familiar brown bushy hair of Hermione bouncing up and down a few feet up the platform, her parents with her looking a little less nervous than the last time I saw them.

'Are you going to be all right if I leave you with Hermione and her parents?' Lupin asked.

'I should be,' I said. 'Is it your … _thing_ again?'

Lupin nodded.

'I'm sorry it's started again as you're about to go back to school,' he said. 'It always comes at the most awkward moments.'

'It's fine,' I replied. I knew Lupin didn't like crowds when his condition was starting to get worse as the full moon approached. 'If you need to go, I understand. All I have to do is get on the train, that's all.'

'If you're sure.' Lupin gave me a hug then handed me my trunk. 'I'll see you at Christmas.'

I waved goodbye to Lupin as he headed back towards the barrier. Once he was gone, I grabbed my trunk and Gizmo's cage then walked off to join Hermione. Seeing as Harry, Ron and the Weasleys weren't here yet we took the opportunity to find ourselves a compartment before they all became full. Mr and Mrs Granger helped us load our trunks on to the train then followed us as we walked up the carriage until we found a vacant compartment. Mr Granger lifted our two trunks on to the luggage rack above us and placed Gizmo's cage beside them. With our trunks safely stored away we got back off the train to wait for the boys while Hermione said goodbye to her parents.

With less than ten minutes before the Hogwarts Express was due to leave several red haired wizards appeared one by one through the barrier. All were looking flushed as they hurried up the platform with their trunks to where Hermione and I were waiting. Mrs Weasley was looking frantic as she counted the bodies in front of her.

'Percy – Fred – George,' she ticked off as they climbed on to the train. 'Go on, Ginny, your father's just put your trunk on the train. Harry, Ron – _Arthur!_ '

Harry and Ron weren't there. There were only a couple of minutes left before the train was going to leave.

'Arthur, Ron and Harry haven't come through yet!' Mrs Weasley shouted at her husband. He nodded and ran off towards the barrier. Mrs Weasley meanwhile turned to Hermione and me. 'You two best get on the train,' she told us. 'We cant have you being late as well. We'll find the boys. Come on, come on.'

Mrs Weasley bustled us on to the train before we had the chance to the object. The whistle blew and the train pulled away from the station. Hermione and I shared a worried look. What had happened to the boys? Where were they? They had to have been with the Weasleys all the way to the platform so how did they not get through the barrier in time? And now that the train had left, how were they going to get to Hogwarts? Seeing there was nothing we could really do, Hermione and I went back to our compartment. We found Ginny halfway along the corridor looking nervous having not found anywhere to sit. We invited her to sit with us for the journey having been in her shoes a year ago ourselves.

'What do you think happened to Harry and my brother?' she asked. She took a seat in the corner by the window. Her head was bowed as she stared at her hands in her lap.

'We're not sure,' said Hermione. 'They probably just missed the train, that's all.'

'Well, what happens when you miss the train?' I asked. 'The Hogwarts Express won't leave Hogsmeade again until the end of term for Christmas, will it?'

'I'm sure Mr Weasley will find them and get them to Hogwarts,' said Hermione confidently. 'It was just so irresponsible of them to miss the train in the first place.'

As train journeys go it was pretty uneventful. It took a little while but eventually Hermione and I managed to engage the shy Weasley into conversation and soon enough, Ginny was happily talking to us about what she hoped Hogwarts would be like after having six older brothers go through the school. She was quite talkative for an eleven year old especially when the subject was her family or The Burrow, their family home. When Harry came up, as I've learnt he always seems to, Ginny seemed very interested in him, her cheeks pink when she asked us about what he was like. I listened and answered any questions I could for her, more than happy to settle her curiosity.

A sudden commotion outside our compartment diverted my attention briefly from our conversation. Getting up, I pulled back our compartment door and looked outside. Some of the other students were looking out the window of the train. I followed their gaze, wondering what was so interesting outside the train.

'What is it?' I heard Hermione ask from inside the compartment.

'Ginny, what colour is your dad's flying car?' I asked, ignoring Hermione's question.

'Light blue,' came Ginny's reply.

'And you said it was a Ford Anglia?'

'Yeah, why?'

I watched as the car lifted back up into the clouds above them, Ron clearly in its driver's seat having been given away by his red hair and Harry in the passenger.

'No reason.'

Darkness had fallen by the time we arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Hermione, Ginny and I had already changed into our robes by the time we pulled into the station and were sitting quietly as we waited to get off the train. We said goodbye to Ginny on the platform, reassuring her that the Sorting was nothing to worry about, and that she needed to follow Hagrid who had just appeared calling the new first-years over to him. As for us, Hermione being Hermione, she knew exactly what to do. All the older students took magic-drawn carriages up to the castle, as only the first-years were to ride the boats. Hermione and I joined the crowds and walked out of the station to where hundreds of horseless carriages would be waiting for us.

Line upon line of smart black carriages stood in the clearing behind the station, each one big enough to take between four and six students up to the castle. One by one when they were full they pulled off and began making their way up the track that would lead to the castle. There was nothing out of the ordinary about them except one thing. They weren't horseless.

I stared, my eyes wide, at the strange beast that stood in front of each individual carriage. I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was really there or whether they were a figment of my overactive imagination. I looked around to see if any of the other students were seeing what I was seeing. No one else was reacting to them, which I guess meant that no one else could see them. Once my initial shock had worn off I looked back at these strange creatures. They were horses but certainly not ones I'd ever seen before. Their skin was a shiny black and taught, their bodies skeletal as if they were malnourished; upon their backs were large leathery wings that every so often they'd stretch out before folding away again; glittering white orbs stared back at me from their almost dragon-like face; and the finest of black hair created their manes and tails. Despite their scary appearance I couldn't deny there was something strangely elegant about these invisible creatures.

'They're beautiful, aren't they?' said a voice behind me. I looked round. A small girl with straggly blonde hair was standing beside me. Her wide grey eyes were staring distractedly in front of her in the direction of the creature and she had her wand tucked behind her ear. It looked like she could see them too. 'People tend to avoid them because they're a bit different.'

I shook myself, then said, 'Shouldn't you be with the first-years?'

'Probably,' said the girl, 'but I wanted to come see the Thestrals first.'

'Is that what they are?' I asked. The name sounded familiar. 'Thestrals?'

'Jenna, come on!' Hermione called to me. She was sitting in a carriage with Neville, Seamus and Dean by the looks of it. 'The last carriages are leaving.'

'I have to go,' I told the girl. In the distance I heard Hagrid's voice calling out for her as well. 'Sounds like Hagrid's looking for you. They'll be waiting for you down at the boats.'

I got in the carriage and closed the door behind me. With a small jerk it started forwards and set off along the track.

I never realised just how boring the Sorting Ceremony was for all the other students while they waited for the new first-years to be Sorted into their Houses. A dozen or so empty spaces were set for the new first-years at the end of each of the four House tables while the older students filled up the rest. Hermione and I found some seats with Fred, George and Percy nearer the front, all of who were waiting anxiously to see Ginny be Sorted. I sat quietly, applauding when necessary, as one by one the new students were placed in their Houses. About halfway through the list the strange girl from earlier was called up to be Sorted. She skipped up to the stool and sat with a very vacant expression on her face as Professor McGonagall put the Hat on her head. I was intrigued to see she got Sorted into Ravenclaw; she seemed more of a Hufflepuff to me. At the end of the long list Professor McGonagall called Ginny's name and she was Sorted into Gryffindor.

There was still no sign of Harry or Ron by the time the feast had started. Hermione and I were getting very concerned about where they could possibly be. Just up from us Percy was also fuming at his brother's disappearance. I was in two minds whether to tell her about the fact I'd seen the two of them in Mr Weasley's flying Ford Anglia but needn't have worried. In amongst the din of chatter we overheard talk of Harry Potter and his ginger friend had been seen driving a flying car above the Hogwarts Express and that it was just another attention grabbing stunt since his name had been in the _Daily Prophet_ when he met Lockhart. Hermione gave me a shocked look.

'They didn't,' she breathed.

'I think they did,' I answered.

A glance at the teacher's table told us everything we needed to know. There were three vacant seats along the line of teachers and I was pretty sure it wasn't because Lockhart was boasting about something he'd done; he was currently regaling Madam Pince with some wild tale, the latter looking thoroughly bored. Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were all not there. That could mean only one thing. Harry and Ron must've arrived and they were in deep trouble.

'I can't believe those boys, honestly,' muttered Hermione indignantly on our way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The school was buzzing with news of what Harry and Ron had done; some were even saying they'd crashed on the school grounds. 'They should have just waited for Mr Weasley to bring them here instead of attempting to fly here in a car. I still can't believe they've done it. They'll be in so much trouble and the term hasn't even started. _There_ you are!'

Harry and Ron were standing outside the portrait of the Fat Lady that hid the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower. We ran over to them.

'Where have you been?' demanded Hermione, not giving the boys a chance to explain. 'The most _ridiculous_ rumours – someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying _car_.'

'Well, we haven't been expelled,' said Harry. I cringed. They really _had_ flown here.

'You're not telling me you _did_ fly here?' said Hermione. Her tone could rival Professor McGonagall's.

'I did say,' I sighed.

'Skip the lecture,' snapped Ron, 'and tell us the new password.'

'It's "wattlebird",' said Hermione, impatiently, 'but that's not the point –'

Before Hermione could make her point, Harry and Ron were pulled inside the common room where they were greeted with a loud round of applause. The entire House was celebrating their escapades, Fred and George enviously that they hadn't been involved in their stunt. Ron went scarlet from all the attention. In amongst the happy and cheering faces, you could just see Percy standing near to the staircases, his arms folded in a very Mrs Weasley-ish way. Harry must've noticed this because moments later he was calling goodnight to Hermione and me and was leading Ron away up to the boys' dormitories.

' _Boys!_ ' groaned Hermione.

Hermione was still in a mood with the boys the following morning when they joined us at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. She kept her head buried in her copy of _Voyages with Vampires_ that she had propped up against a milk jug and there was a certain stiffness in the greeting. When they looked at me, I gave them a small smile and a shrug then continued with my breakfast while they helped themselves to toast, porridge and pumpkin juice. We ate in silence, the only silence it turned out that we were going to get that morning.

'Hi guys,' said Neville. A short plump boy, Neville was unfortunately a rather forgetful and accident-prone person but friendly nonetheless. He took a seat beside Harry and helped himself to some food. 'Post's due any minute – I think Gran's sending on a few things I forgot.'

Sure enough a few minutes later a flood of owls filled the Great Hall to deliver the students their first mail of the term. Letters and parcels started to drop from above us as owls found their owners and left their deliveries for them before circling round and flying back out the windows of the Hall. As he thought, Neville's Gran had indeed sent on some of his things he'd forgotten as a large parcel bounced off his head and on to the table. Not a moment later though a large grey object crashed into the jug holding up Hermione's spraying us with milk and feathers. I recognised the bedraggled bird immediately. It was the Weasley's owl, Errol.

' _Errol!_ ' gasped Ron. He grabbed the bird's talons and picked him up. The owl was unconscious and slumped on the table with its legs in the air once Ron had picked off the bits of cereal from his feathers. 'Bloody bird's a menace.'

In its beak, Errol was still clutching a now rather damp red envelope.

'Oh no –' gasped Ron.

'It's all right, he's still alive,' said Hermione, giving him a prod with her fingertip.

'It's not that – it's _that_.'

Ron pointed at the letter. Both he and Neville were looking at it as if it was suddenly going to explode.

'It's just a letter, Ron,' I said.

'What's the matter?' asked Harry.

'She's – she's sent me a Howler,' said Ron faintly.

'You'd better open it, Ron,' urged Neville. 'It'll be worse if you don't. My Gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and –' Neville swallowed, 'it was horrible.'

I didn't understand what was so bad about the letter. Nor did Hermione or Harry but when he asked Ron what one was, Ron didn't reply. He was focused on the red envelope that had now begun to smoke.

'Open it,' said Neville again. 'It'll all be over in a few minutes …'

Ron reached out and took the letter from the unconscious Errol. Beside Harry, Neville had already thrust his fingers into his ears. Cautiously Ron slit the letter open. All of a sudden a shout that filled the entire Hall bellowed from the letter in the very recognisable tones of Mrs Weasley. Ron dropped the letter in horror. The letter then picked itself up and folded itself into the shape of a mouth, the parchment inside taking on the shape of sharp teeth while the red envelope itself were the lips. It floated in front of Ron as it shouted Mrs Weasley's words. I certainly understood now why it was called a Howler.

' _RONALD WEASLEY!_ ' it shouted in Mrs Weasley's voice. ' _HOW DARE YOU, STEALING THE CAR! I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU! JUST YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU! I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT HAD GONE!_ '

The shouts coming from the Howler were so loud that even the cutlery on the table was rattling as they echoed off the walls of the Hall. One by one students were beginning to look round to see who had received the Howler. Across from us at the Slytherin table I noticed Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle were looking over in our direction, a pleased smirk on his face when he realised it we were the ones subject to the Howler's rage.

' _WE WERE HORRIFIED WHEN WE RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME! WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED!_

' _I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME_.'

Ron nodded at the letter. I thought that was the end of it but the letter had one last thing to say. It looked away from Ron and down the table to where a very red-faced Ginny was sitting next to Percy.

' _Oh and Ginny, dear,_ ' the letter added, ' _congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud._ '

With a hiss of its ribbon-tongue, the Howler ripped itself up then burst into a small puff of flames into a pile of ash on the table. A ringing silence followed as the four of us sat stunned. I privately thought to myself never to get on Mrs Weasley's bad side. Gradually a hint of laughter spread through the Hall and soon talk had once again resumed. Ron let out a groan and let his face drop on to the table.

'Well, it could have been worse,' I said. Ron glanced at me. 'She could have been yelling at you in person.'

Hermione closed her book and gave Ron a pointed look when he groaned for a second time.

'Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you –'

'Don't tell me I deserved it,' snapped Ron.

'I don't need to,' shrugged Hermione. 'The Howler did that for me.'

'Your timetables,' came Professor McGonagall's voice from behind me. She handed a sheet of parchment to each of us. 'May I suggest after your exploits last night that you make sure you don't miss your first lesson of the year as well,' she said pointedly to the boys.

Taking that as a hint, the four of us left the Great Hall to head down to the greenhouses for Herbology.

The greenhouses were several long glass buildings located in the Hogwarts grounds near to the back of the castle. Inside they housed many strange and magical plants that were tended by Professor Sprout, a squat and cheerfully plump witch with greying hair that stuck out from under her gardening hat and the Head of Hufflepuff. While first-years only worked in Greenhouse One, the older students would learn about the more advanced plants that were kept in the other greenhouses and so the lesson location changed between greenhouses depending on which plant was to be studied. When Harry, Ron, Hermione and I arrived we saw that our classes this year were once again with the Hufflepuffs, the likes of Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan gathered together outside while they waited for Professor Sprout to arrive. She did so a few minutes later with a pile of bandages in her arms and she wasn't alone. Lockhart was with her and he appeared to be boasting about something to her. Behind me I heard Hannah and her friend Susan Bones start giggling; even Hermione seemed to blush when she saw him. I cringed and moved behind Ron to keep out of his sight. The last thing I wanted was to have to talk to Lockhart before I absolutely had to.

'Oh, hello there!' called Lockhart, waving at us all. 'Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is!'

'There's no danger of that,' I muttered to Harry and Ron. They chuckled.

'Greenhouse Three today, chaps!' said Professor Sprout. She had a rather disgruntled look on her normally cheerful face. I guess I wasn't the only one who was not taken in by Lockhart's charms. 'Come along, come along! Time waits for no wizard.'

Professor Sprout unlocked Greenhouse Three and ushered us inside. She scowled though when Lockhart requested to have a word with Harry. Giving him a look that simply said 'Good luck', Ron, Hermione and I walked into the greenhouse. There was a strong smell of damp soil and fertiliser that hit us the moment we entered. In the corner sat a fresh pile of compost that I assumed we were going to be using for the lesson and sat on the table in the centre of the greenhouse were several large trays each with a plant's leaves sticking out the top of them. There was also a collection of variously coloured earmuffs. Professor Sprout instructed us each to take a place around the table behind one of the trays.

Harry slipped in a few minutes later and stood next to me. I raised my eyebrow to ask what Lockhart had wanted but he shook his head. The look on his face was enough to tell me Lockhart had been trying to spread his "wisdom" again like he had back in Flourish and Blotts.

'Good morning, everyone,' called Professor Sprout, tapping her wand on the large pot in front of her. The class responded. 'We'll be re-potting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?'

Without missing a beat Hermione put her hand in the air.

'Yes, Miss Granger.'

'Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative,' said Hermione. It was like listening to a textbook being read aloud. 'It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state.'

'Excellent,' said Professor Sprout. 'Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?'

Again Hermione's hand shot up.

'The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it.'

'Precisely. Take another ten points.' Next Professor Sprout picked up a pair of fluffy pink earmuffs and put them on over her head, her flyaway hair being compressed beneath them. 'Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young,' she explained, pointing at the trays in front of us. They contained row upon row of strange purplish-looking plants. 'Everyone take a pair of earmuffs. When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are _completely_ covered,' said Professor Sprout firmly. 'When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right – earmuffs on.'

I tucked my hair behind my ear then put the earmuffs I'd taken firmly on over my ears. The room suddenly went silent as all sound was blocked out. I watched Professor Sprout roll up the sleeves of her gardening robes then took hold of one of the small tufts of leaves in front of her. With one strong jerk, she pulled. From the earth a small, muddy and very ugly looking plant was uprooted. It looked like a baby but was old and wrinkled. It's mouth was moving indicating it was screaming, the tiniest of high-pitched whistles just audible through the earmuffs. I jumped slightly at the sound as did the rest of the class. Grabbing one of the large pots from the centre of the table, Professor Sprout proceeded to dump the baby root into it before burying it deep with some of the fresh compost. She gave us a thumbs up and we removed our earmuffs. Opposite me, Neville had fainted.

'Hmm, looks like Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs,' muttered Professor Sprout when she noticed him. She removed her own.

'No, Professor, he's just fainted,' said Seamus.

'Yes, well, just leave him there,' shrugged Professor Sprout. I couldn't help my eyebrow arching at her reaction. 'As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet. However, they _will_ knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back like Longbottom, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

'Four to a tray – there is a large supply of pots here – compost in the sacks over there – and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething.'

Professor pointed at large plant in the corner. The dark red branches of it gave a little whip as a fly buzzed past it. She gave it a sharp slap when she noticed one of its roots reaching for her shoulder.

Despite being next to Harry and the others, Professor Sprout assigned me to work with three Hufflepuffs when she went round the table dividing us into groups of four. I was to work with Ernie, Hannah and Susan for the hour's lesson. While I had never really spent time with them outside of class I certainly didn't object to having to work with them. They were all perfectly nice people. I smiled at them and together we started to re-pot the baby Mandrakes in front of us. Making sure my earmuffs were firmly over my ears, one by one I grabbed a tuft of leaves and pulled it out of the tray before setting it back down in a larger pot and covering it with a pile of fresh soil. Slowly we got through our first tray until Hannah had carefully removed the last Mandrake from it. With a signal from Professor Sprout to remove our earmuffs, I pulled mine off and shook my hair that had been displaced by them.

'You should have all finished your first tray by now,' said Professor Sprout. 'For those who haven't, you have half an hour to do so. For everyone else, there are spare trays at the back and more compost if you need any.'

Giving us some time to replace any empty trays before signalling for us to put our earmuffs back on, I took the opportunity to speak to Hannah and Susan while Ernie got us some more compost having been reprimanded by Professor Sprout to stop worrying about getting dirt on his shirt. A lesson like this had meant there wasn't much time for talking as we couldn't hear ourselves over the squeaks and through the earmuffs so I took the chance while we had it.

'Re-potting Mandrakes is harder than I thought,' I said, brushing some dirt off my face. 'One of mine had a right tantrum when I pulled it from its tray.'

'Better than tending to something like those Bouncing Bulbs we had last year,' said Hannah. 'Herbology is one of my favourite classes.'

'We haven't had Defence Against the Dark Arts yet though,' said Susan eagerly. 'Professor Lockhart's one of the most talented wizards in the world when it comes to Dark Arts. His classes are bound to be really interesting.'

I held in a sceptical sigh at that remark then glanced over my shoulder at Harry and the others.

'Whose that working with Harry?' I asked. While I knew most of the students in our year by name having had classes with them for the past year, I still couldn't recognise all of them by face. A blond boy with curly hair was talking quickly to Hermione; it looked like Hermione had met her match in speaking too fast to be understood. 'He seems rather eager.'

'Oh, that's Justin,' said Susan. 'He's Ernie's best friend. He's really nice for a Muggle-born though he's a bit hard to understand sometimes. He told me about his father being a lawyer, whatever one of those is.'

'Sounds like Hermione,' I said. 'If it wasn't for growing up with Muggles, I wouldn't understand her half the time either.'

'Got the soil.' With a huff Ernie placed a fresh bag of soil in front of us on the table. 'Merlin, I'm covered in the stuff. I'm absolutely filthy. Those plants are a right handful.'

'It's Herbology, Ernie,' said Hannah, 'it's kind of expected.'

I let out a small laugh at Hannah's dry wit. A moment later we had our earmuffs back on and resumed our work after Professor Sprout's signal. Being Hufflepuffs, I wasn't surprised that Ernie, Hannah and Susan worked diligently through our second tray and had it finished between the four of us by the end of class. It seemed Herbology was perhaps another talent of the House. When Professor Sprout finally signalled us to let us know the class had ended, I removed my earmuffs and brushed off as much soil as I could from my robes. Having re-potted what was basically the flora equivalent of a toddler it wasn't really that surprising contrary to what Ernie must have thought. Grabbing my bag I said goodbye to Ernie, Hannah and Susan and walked off to join Harry and the others for our next lesson, Transfiguration.

Getting back into the swing of having lessons again was harder than I thought. While I hadn't forgotten much over the summer holidays of what I'd learnt the previous year, it seemed that over those two short months where we weren't allowed to magic had made me somewhat rusty and so it took me quite a few tries before I managed to change my beetle even vaguely into a button. I wasn't having as much trouble as Ron though. It seemed that his and Harry's stunt the previous night had broken his wand and it sparked feebly as he attempted to change his button. He'd wrapped some Spellotape around its tip but it didn't seem to help. Beside me Hermione just tutted and shook her head. She then pointed her wand at what must have been her seventh beetle, transfiguring it and adding it to her ever-growing pile of perfect black buttons.

The Great Hall was already full by the time the four of us got down there for lunch. Not before time too as my stomach was rumbling. If there was one part of the school day I enjoyed it was lunchtime. The Hogwarts food was always so delicious and today was no exception. Platefuls of various sandwiches lined the tables as well as a selection of hot dishes to choose from that I had the usual issue of not knowing what to pick. The boys didn't, diving in straight away the moment they'd sat down.

'What've we got this afternoon?' asked Harry.

'Defence Against the Dark Arts,' replied Hermione without hesitation. I glanced at her.

'Memorised our lessons already have you?' I asked, swallowing my mouthful of pasta. 'Or just that particular class?'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' said Hermione.

'Then _why_ ,' demanded Ron, snatching her timetable from her, 'have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?'

Hermione snatched her timetable back but not before she had gone bright red beneath her bushy hair.

There was still some time to spare after we'd finished our lunch and so went out into the Entrance Courtyard to get some fresh air before we were due to be back once more inside a stuffy classroom, with an equally stuffy teacher in my opinion. Hermione dove straight back into her book while Harry and Ron started discussing the upcoming Quidditch season. I, meanwhile, contented myself with just sitting in silence and watch the world pass by. It was something I'd picked up from Lupin over the summer. There was something about just sitting quietly and watching things that was oddly calming, a moment to myself where I could just observe everything going on around me. I smiled. It was nice. Hogwarts was so busy all the time with students rushing between their classes. How many times did we ever just get to –

'Can we help you?'

A small mousey-haired boy was standing a few feet from us. He was staring at us with an odd fixation upon Harry. His huge eyes were wide with shock that we'd discovered him staring at us, his mouth hanging open slightly. In his hands he was clutching what looked like an old camera with a big flashbulb and everything. His cheeks went pink with embarrassment when I asked him what he was doing.

'All right, Harry?' he said nervously. He took a shaky step towards us. 'I'm – I'm Colin Creevey. I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think – would it be all right if – can I have a picture?' he finally managed to stutter out.

Harry, Ron and I shared a look.

'A picture?' said Harry blankly.

'So I can prove I've met you,' said Colin eagerly. 'I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead.' As if on cue, Colin's eyes went to Harry's forehead to try and find the scar. 'And a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures'll move.' He paused for a breath. 'It's _brilliant_ here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My Dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. and it'd be really good if I had one of you – maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? and then, could you sign it?'

I almost scoffed when Colin asked Harry to sign the photo. I couldn't help it. I still found it absurd how people treated Harry as if he was some celebrity all because of what happened.

' _Signed photos?_ ' I looked away from Colin when I heard that unpleasant voice. 'You're giving out _signed photos_ , Potter?'

I bit back a groan. Did Draco Malfoy have some sort of talent to always turn up when it was the worst possible time for him to do so? He came strolling up to us with Crabbe and Goyle flanked behind him, a wide smirk on his face at the scene unfolding before him.

'Everyone queue up!' Malfoy shouted to the unfortunately rather packed courtyard. Faces began turning in our direction. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!'

'No, I'm not,' responded Harry angrily. 'Shut up, Malfoy.'

'You're just jealous,' chimed Colin. His confidence was somewhat misplaced; he was about half the size and height of Crabbe and Goyle and could easily be knocked out by either one of them.

' _Jealous?_ ' repeated Malfoy. He was no longer shouting nor did he need to. The entire courtyard was watching. 'Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself.'

'Surprisingly, none of us actually asked your opinion,' I said. 'So why don't you and your friends run off like good little wizards?'

The smirk on Malfoy's face faltered slightly.

'Better to hear my opinion than one from someone like you,' he sneered. I glared at him, knowing exactly what he meant.

'Eat slugs, Malfoy,' said Ron angrily.

'Be careful, Weasley,' warned Malfoy. 'You don't want to start any trouble or your mummy'll have to come and take you away from school.' He put on a high-pitched voice. ' _If you put another toe out of line_ –'

A wave of laughter came from a group of older Slytherins gathered across the courtyard from us.

'Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter,' continued Malfoy. 'It'd be worth more than his family's whole house.'

Ron went to grab his broken wand but Hermione stopped him just in time to point out Lockhart was walking over to us to see what the commotion was.

'What's all this, what's all this?' he said, looking around at us all. He gave his head a flick to get his wavy hair out of his eyes and his turquoise robes a flourish as he rested his hands on his hips. 'Who's giving out signed photos?' Before anyone had a chance to speak, Lockhart saw Harry. He let out a jovial laugh and threw his arm around his shoulders. 'Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry! Come on then, Mr Creevey,' he then called to Colin. 'A double portrait, can't say fairer than that, and we'll _both_ sign it for you.'

Harry sent a pleading look in Ron, Hermione and my direction. I shrugged as if to say "You're on your own".

The bell went just as Colin took the photo. I grabbed my bag and walked back inside with Ron and Hermione. Harry had tried to follow but just like before Herbology Lockhart held him back. I glanced at Harry, shook my head, then went inside to head to our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. We made our way up to the third floor and up the long spiral staircase to the classroom at the top of the tower. A few minutes after we arrive so did Harry and Lockhart. Harry's face was bright red. He looked very glad when Lockhart finally released him and let us into the classroom. Hermione dragged a reluctant me to the desk at the front of the classroom. Harry and Ron took the one behind us. From her bag Hermione pulled out all of Lockhart's books and piled them in pride of place on top of her desk. While Lockhart went to get something from his office, I glanced around the classroom. Not a single inch of it wasn't covered in portraits of varying sizes all depicting the same thing: himself. From every angle Lockhart's face smiled and winked at us. It felt rather unnerving, having all those gleaming teeth grinning at me.

Lockhart cleared his throat to announce himself. He walked down the small staircase from his office and over to Neville's desk to the left of Hermione's and mine. He picked up Neville's copy of _Travels with Trolls_ , looked at it, then showed it to us.

'Me,' he said. He watched as his picture on the book smiled and winked at us, then did the same himself. 'Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of _Witch Weekly's_ Most Charming-Smile Award – but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by _smiling_ at her!'

Lockhart paused after his joke. No laugh came though one or two managed a weak smile.

'I see you've all bought a complete set of my books – well done,' continued Lockhart. I noted the slight shake in his voice after the unexpected silence that followed his joke. 'I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about – just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in …'

I took the roll of parchment Lockhart handed me and looked at it. I frowned when I read the questions.

 _1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?  
_ _2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?  
_ _3\. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

My eyes scanned the questions one after another. All of them were about him. Not a single question covered anything that remotely resembled Defence Against the Dark Arts.

'You have thirty minutes,' Lockhart told us. 'Start – _now_!'

'How are we supposed to answer these?' I whispered to Hermione while Lockhart still had his back turned to us. 'They're all about him.'

'It's all in his books,' replied Hermione. She was already scribbling away on her roll of parchment. 'If you've read them properly you'll be able to answer them.'

I had read Lockhart's books albeit unwillingly but not one of them could I remember mentioned things like his favourite beauty potion or what his ideal gift would be for his birthday. It had nothing to do with defensive magic so I had just skimmed over all those parts in his books. Why would I be interested in things that had nothing to do with the subject the book was covering? I glanced at Harry and Ron behind me; they caught my eye and we shared the same look of bemusement. I turned back to my test to at least attempt some of the answers.

'Tut, tut –' said Lockhart half an hour later. He had collected in our tests and was looking through them one by one. 'Hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. I say so in _Year with the Yeti_. And a few of you need to read _Wanderings with Werewolves_ more carefully – I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples – though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!'

Lockhart winked, a habit I noticed he seemed to do a lot. A giggle rippled through the girls. Hermione was practically hanging on to every single thing he said. In contrast it appeared the male portion of the class were finding him as pompous as I was. I could see Seamus and Dean were both trying to stem their laughter on the table next to mine while Neville looked even more confused than usual.

'… but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions – good girl! In fact –' Lockhart continued, turning over her paper, 'full marks! Where is Miss Granger?'

Hermione's face instantly went bright red. Shakily she raised her hand.

'Excellent!' Lockhart beamed. 'Quite excellent. Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so to business …'

'Really?' I whispered to Hermione once Lockhart had turned his back to us to get something from behind his desk. 'Full marks?'

'Like I said, it's all in his books,' said Hermione.

I turned away, rolling my eyes as I muttered, 'What a gasbag.'

'Now –' called Lockhart, regaining our wavering attention, 'be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest of creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm.'

My eyebrow arched, my interest piqued. Well even if he was a useless teacher he certainly had a way with words for dramatic effect. I tilted my head to one side, intrigued by what was inside the cage he had now placed on top of his desk, a large sheet covering its contents from view. Even Dean and Seamus were now listening to him.

'I must you not to scream,' said Lockhart. 'It might provoke them.' With a flourish, he removed the sheet covering the cage revealing a collection of small electric blue wingless creatures. With the cover removed they began chattering to each other in high-pitched mumbles and were buzzing around the cage causing its bars to rattle. My mouth fell open. 'Yes,' finished Lockhart dramatically. ' _Freshly caught Cornish pixies_.'

I frowned. I was no expect on magical creatures but I had a fair bit of knowledge from having read my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ quite a few times and I knew for a fact that pixies were not dangerous.

Seamus was now shaking with laughter.

'Yes?' Lockhart questioned him.

'Well, they're not – they're not very – _dangerous_ , are they?' laughed Seamus.

'Don't be so sure!' said Lockhart. 'Devilish tricky little blighters they can be! Right, then, let's see what you make of them!' and Lockhart opened the cage.

The moment Lockhart released the clip on the cage door all hell broke loose. The pixies made a break for freedom, shooting in every possible direction in the classroom. The class screamed as several shot through the window showering us with glass. It was total destruction everywhere. They shredded books, tore pictures from the wall, upended chairs and desks, and destroyed the skeleton that was hanging from the ceiling. Two even grabbed Neville by his ears and lifted him up into the air then hung him off one of the candelabra's on the wall while the rest of us took cover.

'Come on now, round them up, round them up, they're only pixies,' said Lockhart.

I screamed as one of the pixies grabbed the end of my plait. Harry smacked it away with his copy of _Magical Me_ he was using for protection.

' _Peskipiksi Pesternomi!_ ' commanded Lockhart.

Lockhart's spell did nothing. A pixie then proceeded to snatch his wand out of his hand and throw it out of the broken window. Lockhart let out a strained noise before diving under his desk. He only came out again to stop the pixies destroying one of his portraits. A thump told us the candelabra holding Neville had broken off from its fixing. To the class's relief the bell rang moments later. There was a mad scramble for the door as people grabbed their belongings and escaped as fast as they could. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were just about to make a run for it when Lockhart spotted us.

'Well, I'll ask you four to just nip the rest of them back into their cage,' he said, straightening his hair.

With that Lockhart swept out of the classroom and shut the door firmly behind him.

'Is he mad?' shouted Harry. He ducked as a bone from the skeleton flew over his head.

'How on earth are we meant to stop them?' I shouted. 'There's too many of them.'

'I don't know,' snapped Ron. 'Why doesn't Hermione do something? He's _her_ hero!'

Hermione let out a huff then took out her wand. She ran over to where I was crouched behind a desk that had been overturned.

'Jenna, _Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two_ , chapter four,' she told me. I nodded as I tried to remember what spell was on that page. 'You hit them from this side, I'll hit them from the other.'

'Hermione –!' but she had already run over to the other side of the classroom.

With a nod, Hermione and I left our cover and the pair of us shouted, ' _Immobulus!_ '

Two gunshot-like sounds fired from our wands. An invisible wave swept through the room hitting the pixies. They froze in mid air as the spell hit them, their eyes and mouths wide from their laughter. I let out a relieved sigh. The Immobulus Charm, freezes your opponents instantly upon contact. I was once again thankful for Hermione's almost encyclopaedic knowledge of our school books. With the pixies frozen, Neville took the opportunity to run from his hiding place underneath Lockhart's desk while Harry, Ron, Hermione and I started to catch the pixies one by one and stuff them back into their cage.

'Can you _believe_ him? snapped Ron angrily, thrusting the pixie in his hand into the cage. 'What was he thinking? Letting them loose in the classroom!'

'He just wants to give us some hand-on experience,' said Hermione stuffily.

' _Hands on?_ ' said Harry. 'Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing.'

'No half decent teacher would leave four twelve year old wizards to clean up the mess they've made,' I said. 'Besides, any wizards knows you don't let caught pixies out of their cages unless they've been knocked out first.'

'Rubbish,' said Hermione tartly. 'You've read his books – look at all those amazing things he's done …'

'He _says_ he's done,' Ron muttered to Harry and me. We nodded then left the classroom.

Luckily the rest of the day passed by without any further incidents. Then again, we did have History of Magic so how many things could go wrong in that class anyway? Although, after the chaos of Lockhart's class I was more than grateful for the peace and boredom of Professor Binn's lesson. It was during my musings in his class that I suddenly remembered something. I had been staring blankly out of a window overlooking the Forbidden Forest when I saw something rise up out of the trees, a dark shadow appearing over the bright sky. A few seconds later it folded its wings and dove back into the trees out of sight. I glanced around to see if anyone else had seen this apparition but the whole class were sitting with their heads in their hands as they listened to Professor Binns drone on. I wasn't sure if I was right or not but that had looked like one of those creatures that had been pulling the carriages the previous day. Thestrals was what I think the strange first-year had called them. And if there was any wizard in the school who could tell me what they were, it was Professor Kettleburn.

Professor Kettleburn was an elderly wizard who taught third-year students and up Care of Magical Creatures. It was one of the classes we could choose from to study for our O.W.L.s in our fifth-year. Despite his age, Professor Kettleburn was regarded to be rather eccentric by some of his students, as he could frequently be seen walking around the castle sporting some sort of injury or having some small creature crawling over his robes. Even with his eccentricities, however, I had never heard a student say a bad thing about him and he seemed to know his subject very well. While I knew Hagrid was very good with his creatures, considering he looked after Norbert for a small part of last year, I figured I needed a bit more of an expert to help me answer my questions.

When I got to the Great Hall for dinner with Harry, Ron and Hermione, I looked towards the teacher's table for any sign of Professor Kettleburn. I could just see the white of his beard over the heads of the students. He was deep in conversation with Professor Sinistra, nodding his head every so often at whatever they were talking about. I sat and ate dinner with the others whilst keeping my eye on him so I knew when he was finished; I didn't want to disturb him during his meal. When I saw him get up I made my excuses to Harry and the others then got up to catch him by the doors to the Great Hall.

'Professor Kettleburn!' I called. He was just about to walk out of them when I managed to grab his attention. 'Professor Kettleburn!'

'Ah, Miss Black,' said the old wizard mildly. At Hogwarts you didn't need to be taught by someone for them to know who you were, especially when you are getting yourself into a whole heap of trouble with dragons and Philosopher Stones in your first year. 'To what do I owe the pleasure?'

'I wanted to ask you something,' I said, 'about what pulls the school carriages.'

Professor Kettleburn raised his eyebrows.

'Go on,' he said slowly.

'Professor, what are Thestrals?' I asked.

Professor Kettleburn's look of surprise turned into a frown.

'You seem a bit young to be asking those sorts of questions,' he said slowly. 'Let me ask you something first: what do _you_ know of them?'

'I had a look in my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ ,' I said, 'but all I could find was a passage under Winged Horses that mentioned them. There wasn't any actual information on them.'

'That's because Thestrals are one of the hardest creatures to study,' responded Professor Kettleburn, 'due to the nature that not all wizards can see them. I myself have never caught a glimpse of one and have always had to rely on an assistant when teaching my students about them. They are considered an omen and very unlucky for those who are misfortunate to come across them.'

'Why, Professor?' I asked, curious.

'Because a Thestral is only visible to someone who has seen death,' said Professor Kettleburn heavily.

A feeling of unease suddenly swept through me. Professor Kettleburn was watching me with a look of concern on his face.

'I – I saw my Mum die,' I eventually croaked out, 'when I was a baby. I don't remember it though.'

'Sometimes a memory, no matter how deeply it is imprinted in our minds, is enough,' said Professor Kettleburn gently. 'A Thestral will start to appear to you when you have glimpsed death. It is only when you have accepted it and the enormity of the concept that they will appear fully.'

I nodded. Professor Kettleburn continued.

'Take heart, Miss Black,' he said, 'for like many things, appearances can be deceiving. From what I understand Thestrals are quite beautiful and gentle creatures. It is merely their reputation that dissuades wizards from approaching them. Their appearance is frightening, yes, but they will not attack someone whose loss they can sense. In fact it has been said that instead of bringing a sense of doom to the seer, they feel at peace with their loved one's passing. This is all subjective, of course, and without concrete research we can only presume what effect a Thestral truly has on someone coping with the pain of death.

'I am sorry for your loss, Miss Black,' Professor Kettleburn finished. 'I had the privilege of teaching your mother when she was at school here. She was a wonderful witch with an incredibly warm heart and quite a talent for handling magical creatures. I had high hopes she'd pursue a career in Magizoology but, alas, it wasn't meant to be.'

'Thank you, Professor,' I said. My voice was slightly dry from trying to suppress the feelings I was currently having. Though dismayed at the reason why I could see them, I did feel a slight reassurance that despite their reputation Thestrals were not really as bad as they seemed. 'You're right when you say they're quite beautiful though, even if it is unsettling the first time you see them.'

Professor Kettleburn nodded then turned on his heel while I returned to my seat at the Gryffindor table.

The first week passed by. Classes were a mixture of the good and the bad. After the abysmal first lesson with the pixies Lockhart contented himself with regaling us with dramatic reconstructions of from his books; Potions was as bad as always and it seemed the summer had given Snape plenty of time to brood and renew his dislike of his students; Transfiguration remained challenging under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye; and Charms was amusing as usual, especially when Ron's wand backfired so badly it hit Professor Flitwick square in the forehead and knocked him backwards off his pile of books. It was a busy and eventful first week back and so when the weekend came I was looking forward to going down to Hagrid's with the others for some down time.

Hermione and I got up on Saturday morning and headed down to the common room to meet the boys for breakfast only to find Harry wasn't there. Ron showed us the note he'd left saying Oliver Wood had got him up early for Quidditch practice. Figuring Harry wouldn't have had any breakfast because of this, Hermione and I gathered up enough toast for the four of us spread with various jams and marmalades into some napkins then headed down to the Quidditch pitch with Ron to go watch the Gryffindor team practice. The sun was glowing brightly over the grounds as we walked down the hill and took some seats up in the stands. When we got there we saw Harry and the rest of the team were only just coming out of the changing room.

'Aren't you finished yet?' Ron called down to Harry.

'Haven't even started,' Harry called back.

'Guess we had better keep this warm for him then,' I said, folding the toast we'd saved for him back into their napkin. 'Can you do your blue flame for that, Hermione?'

'Of course.'

From her pocket Hermione pulled out the old jar she had used last year whenever she created her blue flames when we were cold in the grounds. She pointed her wand inside the jar and said the incantation, creating a tiny blue flame burning all by itself inside it. Hermione sealed it with the lid then placed the toast on top to keep warm. It was a handy little fire for keeping things warm and the good thing about it was that it couldn't burn you if you had to hold it, as it wasn't intended for that use. There was the Incendio Spell if you wanted to set something alight.

We watched as the Gryffindor Quidditch team got on their brooms and began a few laps around the stadium. A weird clicking sound could be heard somewhere near to where we were sitting in the stands. Looking round for the source, Ron, Hermione and I saw we weren't alone in watching the team practice. There with his camera, Colin Creevey was bouncing eagerly up and down as he snapped picture after picture of the team. I guess he must have found out they were practicing this morning somehow. I don't think Harry would have willingly told Colin about it if meant he'd be following with his camera.

'Does he ever go anywhere without his camera?' asked Hermione, folding her arms. 'Even I wasn't that bad when I started here.'

'You were pretty bad, Hermione,' said Ron. 'Oh, Professor, Professor, I know the answer!' he then said, raising his hand to an imaginary teacher. Hermione frowned at him.

'Er, guys,' I said, interrupting the potential argument. 'I don't think Colin's the one they're going to have to worry about. Look.'

I pointed down on to the pitch where seven students dressed in green and silver robes, each one of them carrying a black broomstick, and in amongst them I could just see a familiar streak of white hair. A worried feeling started in the pit of my stomach if that was whom I thought it was.

'What d'you think they want?' asked Ron. 'Wood would have booked the pitch for Gryffindor first day back.'

'I don't know,' said Hermione, 'but I think we better get down there.'

Hermione extinguished the blue flame and put the jar back in her pocket while I gathered up the toast. Quickly we hurried down the stands, back down the wooden steps and through the nearest entrance on to the pitch. The Gryffindor team had now spotted the invading Slytherins and had stopped their practice. They were standing opposite each other on the grass, Wood and the Slytherin Captain, Flint, squaring up to each other. And as I'd suspected, the streak of white had indeed belong to Malfoy would was standing there with a smirk on his face dressed in the Slytherin Quidditch uniform. How he'd even gotten on the team I could only begin to guess.

'Oh look,' we heard Flint say, having spotted us running over to them. 'A pitch invasion.'

'What's happening?' Ron asked. 'Why aren't you playing? And what's _he_ doing here?'

'I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley,' said Malfoy smugly. Ron glared at him. 'Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team.'

I looked at the brooms each of the Slytherin team members were holding. Each one had a long sleek black shaft and the neatest collection of blackened twigs that formed the brush of the broom; attached beneath the shaft was a set of silver footrests that could be flicked out to act as a stand when the broom wasn't in use; and at the tip I could just see a gold engraving that read "Nimbus Two Thousand and One". Judging by the state of them, the brooms looked like they were brand new.

'Good, aren't they?' said Malfoy. 'But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives, I expect a museum would bid for them.'

I frowned as the Slytherin team laughed at Malfoy's snide remark.

'At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in,' said Hermione sharply. ' _They_ got in on pure talent.'

Malfoy's look of smugness faltered. His grey eyes narrowed at Hermione.

'No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood,' he spat.

Almost everyone on the Gryffindor team gasped, including Ron and me. I couldn't believe Malfoy had just called Hermione that. It was such a horrible term for Muggle-borns. Fred and George immediately leapt to Hermione's defence and tried to get to Malfoy only to be blocked by Flint; Angelina, Alicia and Katie were all shouting furiously at Malfoy's derogatory slur; while Harry just stood there completely bemused by what had happened. Beside me I saw Ron take out his wand but before I could do anything to stop him, he pointed it at Malfoy.

'You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!'

A loud bang echoed around the empty stadium. Ron was thrown backwards as his wand backfired, sending a jet of green light out of the handle instead of the tip. He landed with a thump on the grass, groaning from the impact. Harry, Hermione and I ran over to him.

'Ron!'

'Ron! Are you all right?' squealed Hermione.

Ron had gone very pale. Slowly he rolled off his back and on to his hands and knees. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He let out a loud watery belch and several slugs dribbled out of it along with a lot of what looked like slime. I almost gagged just watching. The Slytherins were roaring with laughter that Ron's curse had backfired on him, some of them bent double with glee. The Gryffindor team were gathered round him as well but none of them seemed to want to touch him as he continued to throw up more and more slugs.

'We'd better get him to Hagrid's it's nearest,' said Harry. He grabbed Ron under the arm, Hermione taking the other. Together we hauled him to his feet, narrowly avoiding another slug that dribbled down his chin.

'What happened, Harry? What happened?' I bit back a groan as Colin appeared from the stands. We walked straight past him and out of the pitch. He followed. 'Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?' Ron heaved again; more slugs came out of his mouth. 'Oooh,' gasped Colin. 'Can you hold him still, Harry?'

'Get out of the way, Colin!' snapped Harry.

We dragged Ron as fast as we could over to Hagrid's Hut. All the way he was belching up slugs leaving a trail of slime dripping behind us. We were feet from it when we were forced to take a detour behind some bushes. The door to Hagrid's Hut had flown open revealing a beaming Lockhart in purple robes. He strode out of the Hut with his usual grin on his face obviously pleased with whatever he had been boasting about to Hagrid for however long he'd been in there for. We peered out from behind the bushes as Hagrid's face appeared at his door looking distinctly angered by something.

'It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!' Lockhart said loudly so even we could hear from our hiding place. 'If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book – I'm surprised you haven't already got one. I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, goodbye!'

'Wonder what he was blowing off about now,' I muttered to the others. 'Hagrid looks pretty mad.'

Ron tried to reply but only brought up another couple of slugs.

'I think he's gone,' said Harry. 'Let's get Ron to Hagrid before he belches up any more slugs.'

The four of us emerged from the bushes and hurried over to Hagrid's. I took Ron's arm from Harry so he could knock on the door. The door opened almost immediately revealing a very grumpy Hagrid.

'Oh, it's you lot,' he grunted. His frown softened slightly. 'Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me – come in, come in – thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again.'

Hagrid stepped aside so we could get Ron inside. We hauled Ron over the threshold and got him into Hagrid's large chair. Hagrid shut the door behind us then disappeared into the corner of his Hut to look for something. With Ron now safely inside I took a seat as Harry began explain to Hagrid about what had happened down at the Quidditch pitch that had led to Ron being cursed. Hagrid came back a few moments later carrying a large wooden bucket.

'Better out than in,' he said, plonking it in front of Ron. Good timing too as he threw up another couple of slugs. 'Get 'em all up, Ron.'

'I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop,' said Hermione anxiously. 'That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand …'

'Perhaps now you'll write home for a new wand,' I finished. Ron sent me a half-hearted glare before letting his head flop down into the bucket.

Hagrid began bustling about to make us some tea now that Ron had been seen to. With the arrival of more pleasant company Fang took the opportunity to accost Harry, Hermione and I for attention. Harry took this chance to ask him what Lockhart had wanted. It was unlike Hagrid to speak ill of a teacher – he certainly refused to when we suspected Snape last year regarding the Philosopher's Stone – but he seemed very put out by Lockhart's interfering on how to deal with kelpies. To put the wand in another wizard's hand, Hermione was the first to jump to Lockhart's defence.

'He was the _on'y_ man for the job,' Hagrid responded gruffly. He held out a plate of what looked like fudge. Being weary of his cooking from previous visits, I took a piece out of courtesy but only took the smallest of bites in case it was inedible. I didn't want to break my teeth. 'An' I mean the _on'y_ one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me,' Hagrid continued, changing the subject, 'who was he tryin' ter curse?'

He jerked his head at Ron.

'Malfoy called Hermione something,' replied Harry. 'It must've been really bad, because everyone went mad.'

'It was bad,' said Ron. He had come up for air from having his head in the bucket for the last fifteen minutes or so. 'Malfoy called her "Mudblood", Hagrid –' Next moment he dove back down as he threw up again.

'He did not,' growled Hagrid. He looked at Hermione and me for confirmation.

'He did,' said Hermione. 'But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course …'

'You don't want to know, Hermione,' I said slowly. For the second time, Ron came up from the bucket.

'It's about the most insulting thing he could think of,' gasped Ron. I frowned; this shouldn't be the sort of thing Hermione should hear. No one deserved to be called what Malfoy called her, especially not Hermione considering how good she was at magic. But Ron seemed determined so I cut him off.

'It is the worst thing you could ever call someone,' he choked. 'If Malfoy ever –'

'Ron, you're going to get slime all over Harry,' I said quietly. I then looked at the others. 'Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who was Muggle-born – you know, non-magic parents. To put it simply, it means you have dirty blood. It's not a term normally used in polite conversation.'

'There are some families – like Malfoy's family –' choked Ron, '– who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood.' A slug fell on to his lap as he let out a burp. I cringed as he threw it into the bucket. 'I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom – he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up.'

'That's a bit harsh, Ron,' I said, frowning. 'Neville's just got a confidence problem.'

'He can't do the simplest spell, Jenna,' burped Ron. 'Us pure-bloods aren't any better than Muggle-borns.'

'You and I both know that,' I responded.

'An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do,' said Hagrid proudly. Hermione went bright red.

'It's a disgusting thing to call someone,' said Ron. 'Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's mad. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out.'

'Well I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron,' said Hagrid. 'Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble.'

'I don't really think that would stop him,' I muttered quietly.

I looked away out the window of Hagrid's Hut believing the conversation to now be over. I tilted my head to see out of it wondering if Colin had tried to follow us or not and if he and Lockhart had collided in the process. The two of them together were like the president and publicity officer of some fan club the way they were around Harry. Still, if they had we would have known about it. Lockhart would have been back here in seconds if he knew Harry was here or if there was an opportunity for him to show off in helping Ron. Colin, of course, would be taking photos of anything and everything that happened.

'Harry,' I heard Hagrid then say, diverting my attention, 'gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?'

I closed my eyes in exasperation. Hagrid did not just say that.

'I have _not_ been giving out signed photos,' said Harry angrily. 'If Lockhart's still putting that about –'

Hagrid laughed, 'I'm on'y jokin'.' He gave Harry a pack on the back, almost sending him flying into the table. 'I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'.'

'Bet he didn't like that,' said Harry.

'Don' think he did,' said Hagrid. He grinned, the sides of his beards lifting up at the edges. 'An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go.'

I smirked, 'You should have heard him at the end of our first lesson. He was shocked how I managed to get one of the lowest marks in his personality quiz. I don't think he'd ever met a witch who didn't have a crush on him.'

I sent Hermione a look. She merely frowned back at me. Hagrid chuckled. Beside Harry, Ron had finally resurfaced and seemed to have stopped throwing up slugs. He looked very pale though and quickly declined the treacle toffee Hagrid offered him.

Once we had finished our tea Hagrid took the four of us outside to show us his vegetable patch. Several large pumpkins were growing in the small plot of earth. They were probably for Hallowe'en; one of his many duties as gamekeeper included growing the pumpkins that were used both for decoration and for eating at the Hallowe'en feast and in previous years they had always been quite a sight to see with their various faces carved into them. These ones certainly seemed a lot larger than normal actually. When questioned Hagrid went slightly pink in the cheeks as he confessed to having helped them out a bit.

'An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?' said Hermione. I could hear the disapproval in her voice. Nevertheless she was smiling. 'Well, you've done a good job on them.'

'That's what yer little sister said,' said Hagrid, looking at Ron. 'Met her jus' yesterday. Said she was jus' lookin' round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house.' I noticed Hagrid give Harry a sly wink. 'If yeh ask me, _she_ wouldn' say no tter a signed –'

'Oh, shut up,' grumbled Harry as Ron started laughing. Hagrid had to quickly pull him away from the pumpkins as he brought up another small spray of slugs.

With lunchtime approaching we headed back to the castle. Ron had finally stopped coughing up the slugs but every few steps he did let out a rather wet hiccough. No sooner had we stepped foot back into the castle though were we corned by Professor McGonagall. She informed the boys that they were to do their detentions for flying the Weasley car to school tonight. Ron was to be polishing the trophies in the Trophy Room without the aid of magic with Filch while Harry, much to his horror, was to be helping Lockhart answer his fan mail having been personally requested apparently. The look on Harry's face said it all when Professor McGonagall told him.

'Filch'll have me there all night,' moaned Ron as we took our seats at the Gryffindor table for lunch. 'No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning.'

'I'd swap any time,' said Harry. 'I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fan mail … he'll be a nightmare …'

'Look at it this way though,' I mused. Harry looked at me. 'It'll give you loads of practice for when you have to start answering your own,' I teased.

'Oh ha ha,' replied Harry dryly.

Harry and Ron left Hermione and me in the common room just before eight o'clock for the detentions. The common room was packed full as the Gryffindor students worked through their various amounts of homework that they had let gather up even though it was only the first week of term. Hermione and I sat in our favourite chairs in the corner of the common room with our books spread out over the table having the extra space as the boys weren't there. They certainly didn't go without a fight though, both of them moaning to us about their punishments up until the moment they left.

'Those two shouldn't be making such a fuss,' said Hermione. She picked up her quill and went back to her Charms essay now the boys were gone. 'They deserved it.'

'As you've reminded them every time the subject's come up,' I said.

'If you break the rules –' Hermione began.

'– you deserve the punishment,' I finished for her. Hermione had said this so many times I knew it off by heart now. Hermione frowned at me. 'You know, one day you'll be the one encouraging us to break the rules,' I shrugged. 'Then what will you do?'

Hermione gave me a sharp look.

'That'll be the day,' she huffed.

Time ticked slowly away in the common room as we worked in silence on our homework while we waited for the boys to return. Gradually the common room began to empty as it got later in the evening and by ten o'clock we were some of the only students left in there. Having done all of our homework Hermione had pulled out her copy of _Gadding with Ghouls_ and had her head buried in it as she re-read it for what must have been the hundredth time knowing her. I sat quietly opposite her with my wand in my hand. I had pointed it at my quill which I'd bewitched to draw shapes on a spare bit of parchment I had leftover after trimming my Transfiguration essay to the correct length.

 _Come … come to me … let me rip you … let me tear you … let me kill you …_

I jumped, my quill dropping to the floor.

'Hermione, did you hear that?' I asked. That voice had been so – so cold. I felt like I was near a Dementor again.

'Hear what?' she asked. I stared at her.

'Nothing, I must've imagined it,' I muttered.

Hermione returned to her book. I glanced round the common room. No one else appeared to have heard the voice. The remaining students were all still sitting there engaged in their own activities and conversations. I then looked at the walls. That voice, it seemed to echo around them, almost as if it had come from inside them. I felt a shiver go down my spine.

'Or at least, I think I did.'

* * *

 **AN: so into Chamber of Secrets which is definitely my least favourite of the books. it'll still be a while before Jenna start to make a real difference in the stories but soon it'll be on to Prisoner of Azkaban and I look forward to what I can adjust, add and re-write to those chapters.**

 **SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE ORIGINAL VERSION**

 **to answer a review I had on the last chapter, I just wanted to clarify something. yes, Diary of an Orphan does follow the books as the premise of these stories is Jenna is inserted into the original writing by JK Rowling and so certainly the first couple of books are admittedly a bit dull and are based a lot on the original text as Jenna goes through everything together with the trio with only some divergence e.g. encountering Luna at the carriages and the new conversation in this chapter with Professor Kettleburn. it is only when Sirius is brought in that Jenna begins to learn how to separate herself from the group and in particular Harry and become her own person to the point in Half-Blood Prince where she spends more of her time away from the trio than with them and her relationship Harry becomes strained as she learns to accept her role in the wizarding war**


	11. Polyjuice and Parseltongue

Chapter 10

Polyjuice and Parseltongue

October arrived bringing with it a sudden wave of miserable weather. Large grey clouds replaced the bright blue sky of September and the warm sun was extinguished in favour of a colder one. A cold breeze rattled through the corridors and soon both students and staff felt the effects as a spat of colds began to spread around the castle. The Hospital Wing became a stop off point for almost everyone and so Madam Pomfrey was kept very busy as she prescribed a Pepperup Potion to all those who had to visit her. It was an effective little antidote to the sniffles but it did mean that you had the unfortunate side effect of smoking at the ears for several hours afterwards. For someone like Ginny, who was forced by Percy to go when he saw how pale she had been looking the past few days, it meant it looked her whole head was on fire when combined with her flame red hair.

Rain hammered the castle windows for days making it virtually impossible to go outside during break and so being permanently confined to the common room for so long started to get to people including me. I desperately needed some exercise having not been able to walk further than the distance between my classes for the last week and being cooped up inside when I had done all my homework meant that I was very bored. I had been planning to take my broom out for the first time once term was in full swing again but that plan had been scuppered by the sudden change in weather. I had to admit though, if it was between not doing anything and keeping dry, and going out on my broom in this weather and getting soaked like Harry and the Gryffindor Quidditch team were currently doing, I knew which one I'd choose.

Despite the bad weather, Wood had not been discouraged from dragging the team out every weekend for practice. On more than one occasion I had seen the team through the windows battling the wind and the rain as they went through Wood's strategies and tactics before sloping back into the castle soaking wet and trailing mud all over the place, much to Filch's chagrin. You could hear him shouting about it from all the way down the other end of the corridor. If there was one thing Filch didn't like, it was extra mess caused by the students that he'd then have to spend hours clearing up while he muttered about hanging up the culprits with chains in the dungeons as punishments.

It was at times like these I was very thankful for the warmth of the Gryffindor Tower. A contrast against the blackening skies outside, the bright common room was certainly a more pleasant place to be when the weather was this bad. There was a cheerful atmosphere about the place as the students worked on their various pieces of homework, the fire burning in the fireplace keeping us contently warm. I looked away from my homework and out at the rain hammering the window. Even Wood couldn't be mad enough to practice in this weather. It appeared so as not a few minutes later in walked six very soaked students. Fred and George, who normally were never seen without a grin on their face, looked positively miserable as they traipsed upstairs to get dry.

Harry returned a short while after the rest of the team. He explained to us that he'd been caught dripping mud about the castle by Filch and had only narrowly avoided getting detention thanks to Peeves's timely disruption before going upstairs to the boys' dormitory to get changed. He came back down in a fresh set of clothes having dried off. I couldn't help but snigger though when I saw the state of his hair.

'What is it with you and your hair?' I laughed upon seeing it. 'In all the years I've known you, I don't think your hair has ever looked neat. What do you do to it?'

'Nothing,' said Harry. He took the vacant seat next to Ron. 'You know it's always been like this. It's not my fault.'

'Ah, what is more attractive than the "just come through a bush backwards" look,' I said sarcastically. Harry sent me a look.

'Putting that aside,' he said, 'I've got something to tell you. When I was talking to Nearly Headless Nick before Filch caught me, he told me about how his application to join the Headless Hunt had been denied because he didn't fulfil their requirements.'

'Well he does still have his head for a start,' said Ron, glad to have a reason to abandon his Potions essay.

'Anyway, Nick was the one who got Peeves to smash that large cabinet over Filch's office that got me out of detention,' continued Harry, 'so in return I said we'd go to his Deathday Party and try and talk him up to the leader of the Headless Hunt, tell him how scary we find Nick and such.'

'But we don't find him scary,' I said.

'A Deathday Party?' said Hermione keenly. 'I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those – it'll be fascinating!'

'Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?' said Ron. 'Sounds dead depressing to me …'

'No pun intended,' I added.

'So d'you think we should go?' asked Harry. Across the common room a series of loud bangs and sparks sounded from a Salamander Fred and George were feeding Filibuster Fireworks to. I glanced at it, doubting their story that they had "rescued" it from their Care of Magical Class. 'It'd be rude of us not to.'

'I think we should,' said Hermione.

Ron and I looked at each other thinking the same thing. With Hermione's enthusiasm and Harry saying we'd go in the first place, we kind of had no choice in the matter, did we?

Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party was to be on Hallowe'en which meant, for the second year running, I had to miss the Hallowe'en feast. When we passed the Great Hall on our way down to the dungeons I saw it had been spectacularly decorated with the pumpkins Hagrid had been growing and there was mountains of food piled on each of the tables that the students were happily tucking into. I felt my stomach rumble, knowing there wouldn't be any food fit for human consumption at Nick's party. Even Harry seemed to be regretting his rash decision in telling Nick that we'd go but, as Hermione reminded us, a promise was a promise and so we had no choice.

We climbed down the stairs into the dungeons and took the right-hand passage instead of the one we normally took on our way to our Potions class. It was illuminated by dozens of long thin black candles that burned with an eerie blue flame that did nothing to help liven the atmosphere in the dark corridor. It got steadily colder the nearer we got to the dungeon where the party was being held and there was an odd scraping sound echoing off the stone walls that sounded like fingernails being dragged over a chalkboard. It sent shivers down my spine and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

'Is that supposed to be _music_?' asked Ron in a whisper. If it was, I didn't really want to see what the band playing it looked like.

We turned the corner into a large chamber with three doors leading to separate dungeons along the walls. Nearly Headless Nick floated in front of one of them which had a large pair of black velvet drapes hung over the doorway. He beamed when he saw us walk over to him.

'My dear friends,' he said mournfully, 'welcome, welcome … so pleased you could come …'

I had the feeling the tone of this party was certainly not going to be like one I'd ever been to before if even the host sounded disappointed by the occasion.

Nick doffed his large plumed hat and bowed us into the dungeon. The four of us walked inside to be greeted by what I guess was quite a sight to see. What looked like at least a hundred ghosts were gathered inside the dungeon as they chatted in small groups or danced to the rather dreadful sounding waltz that was coming from a small orchestra set up on a platform at the opposite end of the dungeon to us. Along the wall was a long table that had been piled high with various dishes that a handful of ghosts were admiring and sampling to my surprise. Above us floated more candles, this time set into a large chandelier that cast a strange midnight blue colour over the ceiling. The cold feeling I had had out in the corridor suddenly doubled and I could see my breath rising in front of me because of it.

'Shall we look around?' suggested Harry. I could hear his teeth chatter ever so slightly.

'Careful not to walk through anyone,' added Ron.

We edged our way around the sides of the dance-floor carefully trying to avoid contact with any of the ghosts surrounding us. It looked like all the Hogwarts ghosts were there: the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff was cheerfully talking to a knight who had an arrow sticking out his forehead; the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin House ghost who sported silvery stains on his tunic, was being given a wide birth not just by us but by the other ghosts as well; and the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw, was talking to an equally gloomily group of nuns.

 _Some party this is_ , I thought to myself.

'Jenna,' hissed Hermione suddenly, grabbing my arm. 'Look!'

I followed the direction Hermione was pointing. I swallowed when I saw who was floating in front of us. Moaning Myrtle was a female ghost who haunted the girls' bathroom on the first floor in the Transfiguration Courtyard making it impossible to go to the toilet in there in peace. She was forever crying inside one of the cubicles about one thing or another, hence her name "Moaning" Myrtle, and if you tried to comfort her nine times out of ten you normally made the situation worse. Unlike the other ghosts, Myrtle wasn't dressed in some period clothing but curiously she wore Hogwarts robes which I took to mean she must have died in them as ghosts normally come back in the clothes they died in. A part of me was curious to ask her what had happened which meant she had died in her school uniform, however, knowing it would probably just make her scream and start crying again I never bothered to ask the few times I'd run into her.

'Oh no,' said Hermione. She dragged me back in the opposite direction. Harry and Ron followed. 'Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle –'

'Who?' asked Harry.

'She haunts the girls' toilet on the first floor,' said Hermione.

'She haunts a _toilet_?' repeated Ron.

'Yes. It's been out of order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it, it's awful trying to go to the loo with her wailing at you –'

'Look, food!'

I had wondered how long it would take Ron to noticed the food that was on the table opposite us. Placed on large silver platters on a black velvet tablecloth, several dishes had been prepared and were available to the guests of the party. To Ron's horror, however, none of the food was suitable for human consumption. I wrinkled my nose in disgust when I caught the smell of the large rotting fish that looked like it was growing its own special type of mould. If I'd had any appetite before the party I certainly didn't now. In pride of place in the centre of the display was what looked like a large three-tiered cake with dull grey icing covering what was probably a very stale cake on the inside, a black thick writing icing on the top tier forming the words,

 _Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington  
_ _died 31st October, 1492_

'I think I'm going to be sick,' I muttered. Harry and Ron seemed to nod in agreement.

Next to us, a portly ghost approached the table, bent down and walked through it with his mouth wide open.

'Can you taste it if you walk through it?' Harry asked him.

'Almost,' said the ghost sadly, and he floated away. I cringed.

'I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavour,' said Hermione. She was inspecting the rotten haggis.

'Can we move?' asked Ron. 'If Jenna doesn't throw up, I certainly will.'

No sooner had we turned around were we accosted by yet another ghost, or should I say poltergeist. Peeves suddenly popped up from nowhere and floated in front of us, a mad look on his face. Garishly colourful in comparison to his contemporaries, Peeves stuck out like a – well, like a poltergeist in a roomful of ghosts. The orange party hat was certainly eye-grabbing.

'Hello, Peeves,' said Harry cautiously.

'Nibbles?' he said, offering us a plate of peanuts. They had mould all over them.

'No thanks,' said Hermione.

'Heard you talking about poor Myrtle,' Peeves continued, throwing the plate over his head. ' _Rude_ you was about poor Myrtle.' He then took a deep breath and, 'OY! MYRTLE!'

'Oh no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset,' whispered Hermione. 'I didn't mean it, I don't mind her – er, hello, Myrtle.'

I swallowed as the squat ghost floated over to us. Her face seemed to be set in a permanent gloomy expression, her sad eyes hidden behind her thick and lank fringe and square glasses.

'What?' she snapped at us.

'How are you, Myrtle?' said Hermione. 'It's nice to see you out of the toilet.'

'Yeah,' I added. 'You're looking particularly … translucent today.'

Well how would you compliment a ghost? Myrtle let out a large sniff.

'Miss Granger was just talking about you –' said Peeves in Myrtle's ear.

'Just saying – saying – how nice you look tonight,' said Hermione.

Myrtle's eyes narrowed.

'You're making fun of me,' she said. I could see the tears starting in her eyes; she was going to start crying any moment, I knew it.

'No – honestly – didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?' said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron in the ribs.

'Oh, yeah …'

'She did …'

'Don't lie to me,' snapped Myrtle. 'D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!'

'You've missed out "spotty",' added Peeves.

That did it. Myrtle let out an ear-piercing scream, tears flowing down her cheeks, and fled the dungeon. Peeves followed, pelting her with the rotten peanuts before vanishing through the wall as well. I'd just about had enough of this depressing party and was about to suggest we leave when Nearly Headless Nick appeared by our sides looking very pleased with how his Deathday was going.

'Enjoying yourselves?'

'Oh, yes,' we lied.

'Not a bad turnout,' said Nick, looking around the dungeon. 'The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent … It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra …' But before Nick had even turned away, they had already stopped playing. In the silence a loud hunting horn was blown. Nick rolled his eyes, sighing. 'Oh, here we go.'

A dozen or so ghost horses burst through the wall each carrying its own headless ghost rider. They galloped a loop around the dungeon before gathering together in the space the other ghosts had made for them. A round of applause greeted them as their horses reared and stomped their hooves on the stone floor. From the centre of the group a single headless rider came forwards into the middle of the dance-floor, his hand raised for silence as his horse reared for the second time. Under his arm he carried his own bearded head and in his other was the horn that had sounded. He must have been the leader, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore I think Nick had said his name was. The new guest trotted over to where Nick was floating beside us, placing his head back on to his shoulders.

'Nick!' he roared jovially. 'How are you? Head still hanging in there?' He laughed at his joke and clapped Nick on the shoulder.

'Welcome, Patrick,' replied Nick very stiffly.

'Live 'uns!' gasped Patrick next when he saw the four of us beside him. His head fell back off his shoulders much to the crowd's delight. Nick didn't seem as impressed.

'Very amusing.'

'Don't mind Nick!' laughed Sir Patrick's head. It was lying at his horse's feet. 'Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say – look at the fellow –'

'I think,' said Harry suddenly, as if he'd remembered something, 'Nick's very – frightening and – er –'

'Ha!' yelled Sir Patrick's head. 'Bet he asked you to say that!'

'If I could have everyone's attention,' interrupted Nick, shouting over him to the crowd, 'it's time for my speech!

Nick quickly strode over to the platform and stood in the spotlight.

'My late lamented lords, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow …'

Nick's speech was cut off before he had even started. Sir Patrick had chucked his head into the crowd and a game of Head Hockey was now taking place on the dance-floor, the crowd cheering as they smacked Sir Patrick's head about with ghost-like hockey sticks. Taking that as our cue to leave Harry, Ron, Hermione and I backed away from the crowd and slipped out back through the black velvet drapes into the dungeon corridor. We sped quickly back up the corridor away from the cold dungeon, only now noticing how cold the four of us were, and back up towards the warmer atmosphere of the Great Hall. If we were lucky there might still be some pudding left for us to eat although my appetite still seemed to be absent.

 _… rip … tear … kill …_

I skidded to a halt when I heard that voice again. I looked around the corridor but it was empty apart from the four of us. Harry had stopped too. He had his ear pressed to the wall as if he was listening for something, his eyes scanning the corridor like I had been. Ron and Hermione turned round when they realised we had stopped.

'Harry, what're you –?'

'It's that voice again – shut up a minute –'

I stared at Harry. He could hear it too?

 _… soo hungry … for so long …_

'Listen!' said Harry urgently. Ron and Hermione stared at him as confused as I was but probably for very different reasons.

 _… kill … time to kill …_

The voice was growing fainter. Whatever it was was moving.

'This way,' shouted Harry and he ran off.

Ron, Hermione and I followed Harry as he ran up the staircase back to the Entrance Hall. He didn't stop though, instead running up the Marble Staircase and towards the first floor. We ran after Harry down the corridor that led towards the door to the Transfiguration Courtyard not knowing where he, and in my case the voice as well, was going.

'Harry, what are we –' began Hermione but Harry cut over her.

'SHH!'

He had his ear pressed to the wall again, listening for the voice. It was a few moments before it spoke again.

 _... I smell blood … I SMELL BLOOD!_

'It's going to kill someone,' shouted Harry.

Harry darted round the corner and up another flight of stairs that led to the second floor. We ran through one empty corridor after another but there was nothing there. They were all completely empty of people. Harry finally came to a stop in the last corridor before the Changing Staircase again. Ron, Hermione and I came to a stop, each of us panting beside him.

'Harry, _what_ was that all about?' asked Ron.

My attention, however, was elsewhere. I had felt something wet on my shoe and had looked down to see we were standing in a puddle of water. In fact the whole corridor had been flooded, a large puddle sitting at the foot of the corridor wall. I blinked. There was something reflecting in the water. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at it, taking a step closer to get a better look. It looked like writing of some sort. My eyes followed up the wall to see a collection of large red letters had been painted on to it between the two windows that were shimmering ever so slightly in the lamplight. I swallowed when I saw they were still dripping meaning they had only just been written but it didn't look like paint. Beside me, Hermione had also noticed, letting out a small scream.

 _THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.  
_ _ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

'"Enemies of the Heir, beware",' I read nervously. 'That's not paint. It's written in blood.'

'What's that thing – hanging underneath?' said Ron, his voice also shaking.

I gasped when I saw what Ron had seen. There, hanging by her tail to a torch bracket and frozen in position, was Mrs Norris. Her eyes were wide open as was her mouth, I'm guessing from her hissing at whatever had attacked her. She didn't move, her entire body stiff as a board. We stood there in silence, the four of us horrified at what was in front of us, before Ron finally spoke.

'Let's get out of here.'

'Shouldn't we try and help –' began Harry.

'Trust me,' said Ron. 'We don't want to be found here.'

No sooner had we turned to leave did we hear a low rumble rising up from below us. It sounded like the students had finished dinner and were all leaving the Great Hall to go back to their common rooms as we heard hundreds of feet climbing the stairs. Voices filled out ears as we tried to think how to get out of here before they found us but moments later the corridor we were in was being filled from both sides. I stared around at all the students surrounding us as one by one they noticed the scene in front of them, poking and nudging their friends next to them until everyone was staring at us in a horrible silence.

'Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!'

Malfoy had pushed his way to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. There was a glint of joy visible in his eye when he saw the four of us standing near the frozen form of Mrs Norris.

'What's going on here? What's going on?'

If there was any way for the situation to get worse, this was it. Filch came pushing his way through the crowd having no doubt been attracted here by Malfoy's shout. His scowling eyes took in the sight in front of him, widening when he saw Mrs Norris hanging from the torch bracket. He let out a strangled yelp, clutching his face in horror.

'My cat!' he yelled. 'My cat! What's happened to Mrs Norris?' I watched as his eyes fell on us, more specifically on Harry. ' _You!_ ' he screeched, pointing at us. ' _You!_ You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll –'

' _Argus!_ '

The crowd parted to allow Professor Dumbledore through, several of the other teachers following behind him. His eyes surveyed the situation and in seconds he had swept past us and detached Mrs Norris from the torch bracket.

'Everyone will proceed to their common rooms immediately,' said Dumbledore loudly to the crowd. Hoping that was the end of it, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I turned to leave. 'Everyone except you four,' Dumbledore added, looking at us. 'Come with me, Argus,' he then said to Filch. 'You too, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Black.'

'My office is nearest, Headmaster,' said Lockhart, a bit eagerly. 'Just upstairs – please feel free –'

'Thank you, Gilderoy,' said Dumbledore.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I looked at each other worriedly then followed after Professor Dumbledore and Lockhart, Professor McGonagall and Snape all following the Headmaster. Lockhart swept ahead up the stairs and opened the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and proceeded to his office, lighting the candles in there while Professor Dumbledore lay the frozen Mrs Norris on his desk. The sudden commotion seemed to have woken his portraits who were all hurrying out of view with rollers in their hair. I rolled my eyes; even his portraits were as vain as he was. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I nervously took some seats to the side of where the teachers were gathered round the desk as we waited to find out what had happened. Professor Dumbledore leant over Mrs Norris's frozen form, his long fingers gently touching her as he examined her.

'It was definitely a curse that killed her –' said Lockhart, who was dancing around them uselessly, 'probably the Transmogrifian Torture. I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved her …'

 _Gasbag_ , I thought silently.

Filch sat sobbing in a chair by the desk, his jowls quivering and his head in his hands unable to look at his pet. A part of me felt a rush of sympathy for him. Mrs Norris may be a horrible creature but she was still his pet. Dumbledore now had his wand out and was gently tapping Mrs Norris while he muttered various things under his breath. After a few more minutes' silence, apart from Lockhart's "helpful" suggestions, Dumbledore straightened up.

'She's not dead, Argus,' said Dumbledore. Lockhart stopped, midway through counting the number of murders he'd stopped, surprised by this news.

'Not dead?' choked Filch. 'But why's she all – all stiff and frozen?'

'She's has been Petrified,' said Dumbledore.

'Ah! I thought so!' gasped Lockhart.

'But how, I cannot say …' finished Dumbledore as if Lockhart wasn't there.

'Ask _him_!' shrieked Filch. He pointed a veiny hand at Harry.

'No second-year could have done this,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced –'

'He did it, he did it!' spat Filch. 'You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found – in my office – he knows I'm a – I'm a – He knows I'm a Squib!'

I looked at Filch confused. What had his being a Squib – whatever one of those was – got to do with Harry and Mrs Norris being Petrified?

'I never _touched_ Mrs Norris!' said Harry loudly. 'And I don't even know what a Squib is.'

'Rubbish!' snarled Filch. 'He saw my Kwikspell letter!'

'If I might speak, Headmaster,' said Snape, stepping out of the shadows. I held in a groan. This couldn't be good. 'Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.' My mouth fell open. Despite the sneer that had been on his lips as he said it, Snape was defending us? 'But,' Snape continued, 'we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Hallowe'en feast?'

'We were down in the dungeons,' said Hermione immediately. 'We had been invited to Sir Nicolas's Deathday party.'

'We had gone down to it just as dinner was starting in the Hall,' I said.

'Nick had invited us to it weeks ago,' added Harry.

'There were hundreds of ghosts,' said Ron, 'they'll tell you we were there –'

'But why not join the feast afterwards?' persisted Snape. His black eyes glinted at us. 'Why go up to that corridor?'

Ron, Hermione and I all looked at Harry. What do we say? That Harry was following a voice that only he and I could hear?

'Because – because –' stammered Harry, 'because we were tired and wanted to go to bed.'

'Without any supper?' said Snape, smiling. 'I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties.'

'We weren't hungry,' said Ron just as his stomach let out a low rumble.

'We'd lost our appetite,' I added. 'The smell kind of put us off.'

Snape's smile widened.

'I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful,' he said. 'It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest.'

'Really, Severus,' said Professor McGonagall sharply, 'I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong.'

Dumbledore looked at the four of us, observing us through his half-moon spectacles.

'Innocent until proven guilty, Severus,' he said eventually.

Snape looked furious. Filch was beside himself with rage.

'My cat has been Petrified!' he shouted. 'I want to see some _punishment_!'

'We will be able to cure her, Argus,' said Dumbledore. 'Madam Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs Norris.'

'I'll make it,' said Lockhart quickly. 'I must have done it a hundred times, I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draft in my sleep –'

'Excuse me,' said Snape icily, 'but I believe I am the Potions Master at this school.'

There was an awkward silence. Dumbledore turned to us in the corner.

'You may go.'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I hastily left Lockhart's office and walked out of the Defence Against the Dart Arts classroom. We walked as quick as we could without running down the Tower staircase and on to the third floor corridor, not stopping again until we were on the Changing Staircase where we diverted into an empty classroom on the fourth floor. Harry checked that we were alone then closed door behind us. I took a seat on a desk as I waited for him to say whatever he had to say to explain what had happened this evening.

'D'you think I should've told them about that voice I heard?' he asked us eventually.

Before I could say that he hadn't been the only one to hear that voice, Ron said, 'No. Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world.'

'You do believe me, don't you?' asked Harry.

'Course I do,' said Ron quickly. 'But – you must admit it's weird …'

'When is anything that happens to us _not_ weird?' I asked. Ron sent me a look.

'I know it's weird,' said Harry. 'The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? _The Chamber has been opened_ … what's that supposed to mean?'

'You know, it rings a sort of bell,' said Ron. 'I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once … might've been Bill …'

'But what does it mean?' I asked. Ron shrugged.

'And what on earth's a Squib?'

To our surprise, Ron laughed.

'Well – it's not funny really – but as it's Filch …' he chuckled. 'A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much. He's bitter.'

In the distance we heard the sound of the Clock Tower bell ringing. Somehow it was midnight.

'We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along to frame us for something else,' said Harry. 'Let's get back to the Tower.'

After the events of last year, I had learnt that nothing could happen at Hogwarts without the entire school talking about it for the following days and the attack on Mrs Norris was no different. The fact that Filch could be seen keeping guard at the site of the attack, pacing angrily up and down the corridor scaring away anyone who dared to come down it, didn't help things. The letters on the wall remained as fresh as the day they had been written and no amount of scrubbing on Filch's part was going to make them disappear. If he wasn't there he was skulking around the school as usual trying to give students detention for something as small as walking the wrong way or looking happy.

The attack seemed to have quite an effect on a lot of the students. There were continuous whispers around the corridors and at mealtimes, each time becoming more pronounced if Harry was nearby. It seemed an odd thing to notice, but with the implied threat made against the Muggle-borns thanks to Malfoy's shout that night, it seemed a lot more obvious to me who the Muggle-borns in the school were. I'd see the same scared looks on their faces whenever Harry walked by them as if they actually believed he had been responsible for the attack despite Dumbledore clearing him. But it wasn't just the Muggle-borns who were freaked out. Ginny, who Ron told us was a cat-lover, had been very disturbed by the attack and it took a lot of reassuring her that this sort of thing didn't normally happen at Hogwarts before she began to feel a little bit better. Ron's joke about Filch being Petrified though I think was one step to far.

While it wasn't unusual to find Hermione with her head buried into one book or another, the week following the attack on Mrs Norris had her doing nothing but that. It wasn't until after our Potions class the following Wednesday afternoon when we had gone to the Library to work on our homework that Hermione finally revealed what she had been up to. Harry, having been held back after class by Snape, joined Ron and me at our table in the corner of the Library which had our History of Magic essays spread over them while Hermione had disappeared off into a section on the opposite side of the room. She returned shortly after Harry arrived, an irritated look on her face.

' _All_ the copies of _Hogwarts: A History_ have been taken out,' she huffed. She sat back down in her seat next to me. 'And there's a two-week waiting list. I _wish_ I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books.'

'Why do you want it?' asked Harry.

'The same reason everyone else wants it,' said Hermione, 'to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.'

'Well if it gets students reading history,' I muttered. Hermione sent me a disapproving look. 'What? Just saying.'

'What's the legend?' asked Harry before Hermione could reprimand me for my innocent quip.

'That's just it, I can't remember,' said Hermione. 'And I can't find the story anywhere else –'

'Hermione, let me read you composition,' said Ron. He reached across the table for Hermione's essay but she snatched it away from him.

'No, I won't,' snapped Hermione. 'You've had ten days to finish it.'

'I only need another two inches, go on …'

The bell rang. I gathered up my essay on The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards and sealed it before Ron could get his hands on it. Ron and Hermione proceeded to bicker the entire way to History of Magic. When we reached the classroom we took our usual seats in the left hand row of desks and waited for Professor Binns to enter through the blackboard like he usually did. It was about the only exciting thing that ever happened in lessons. A ghost of habit, he did so a few minutes after we entered before starting his dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289. His tone was low and flat and sounded somewhat like an old vacuum cleaner making it very hard to not fall asleep in the hour-long lesson. Still, I sat with my head rested on my hand as I copied down any relevant dates and points I could pick up on amongst all the information he was telling us.

About half an hour in, as I dipped my quill in my inkwell to refill it, I noticed Hermione beside me had her hand up. I gave her a startled look; no one had ever put their hand up in History of Magic. Professor Binns, deeply involved in the description of the signing of some document at the Convention, stopped mid-sentence when he too noticed Hermione's hand in the air.

'Miss – er –?'

'Granger, Professor,' said Hermione. 'I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets.'

All of a sudden the class was awake and listening, which was unheard of for one of Professor Binns' lessons. Dean, who'd been staring out the window, snapped back round to face the front; Lavender's head came up off her arms on her desk while Parvati beside her stopped doodling on her parchment; and Neville's elbow slipped off the desk waking him up from his stupor. Professor Binns blinked.

'My subject is History of Magic,' said Professor Binns. 'I deal with _facts_ , Miss Granger, not myths and legends.' He cleared his throat and turned away. 'In September of that year, a sub-committee of Sardinian sorcerers – Miss Grant?'

'Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?' persisted Hermione.

'Well,' said Professor Binns, looking slightly perturbed by the fact he'd been interrupted twice now, 'yes, one can argue that, I suppose. However, the legend of which you speak is such a very _sensational_ , even _ludicrous_ tale …'

I glanced around the classroom; everyone was hanging on to his every word. Even Professor Binns seemed thrown by this reaction from his students.

'Oh, very well,' he said slowly. 'Let me see … the Chamber of Secrets …

'You all know, of course,' he continued, 'that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago – the precise date is uncertain – by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution.'

Professor Binns paused, looked round the room, then continued.

'For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more _selective_ about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.

'Reliable historical sources tell us this much,' he said, 'but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of he Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.

'Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true Heir arrived at the school. The Heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.'

A silence followed. I frowned as I thought through what Professor Binns had said about the Chamber of Secrets; a horror within a hidden chamber with the sole purpose to rid the school of those unworthy in his eyes to study magic. It was the most extreme case of prejudice I'd ever heard. Nevertheless the entire class was rapt with attention at Professor Binns' story much it appeared to his frustration.

'The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course,' he said irritably. 'Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible.'

Hermione's hand shot back in the air.

'Sir – what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?'

'That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,' said Professor Binns. 'I tell you, the thing does not exist,' he then snapped. He shuffled the notes on his desk. 'There is no Chamber and no monster.'

'But, sir,' said Seamus, 'if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true Heir, no one else _would_ be able to find it, would they?'

'Nonsense, O'Flaherty,' said Professor Binns. 'If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing –'

'But, Professor,' began Parvati, 'you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it –'

'Just because a wizard _doesn't_ use Dark Magic, doesn't mean he _can't_ , Miss Pennyfeather,' snapped Professor Binns. 'I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore –'

'But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't –' started Dean but Professor Binns had had enough.

'That will do,' he said sharply. 'It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to _history_ , to solid, believable, verifiable _fact_!'

With that, I put my head back on my hand as Professor Binns returned to his previous lecture on the Sardinian sorcerers.

'I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony.'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I made our way through the crowds in the corridors walking towards the Great Hall for dinner. History of Magic had finished after another painful twenty minutes of Professor Binns' dreadful lecture. The four of us had gathered our things and escaped as quickly as we could so we could discuss what Professor Binns had told us regarding the Chamber of Secrets. If we had learnt anything last year, it was not to take legends and myths so lightly. We walked against the flow of students heading towards the Great Hall to go and drop our bags off in the Gryffindor Tower.

'But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff,' said Ron. 'I wouldn't be in his House if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home.'

'It's not really surprising if you think about it,' I reasoned. 'I mean, look at most of the pure-blood families that are at Hogwarts now. I can think of at least three names that you wouldn't catch sitting with the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs.'

'Hiya, Harry!' I glanced round at the sound of Colin Creevey's voice. 'Harry – Harry – a boy in my class has been saying you're –' Before he could get out whatever the boy in his class had been saying, Colin was swept away by the older larger students walking past him. 'See you, Harry!' I rolled my eyes.

'What's a boy in his class saying about you?' repeated Hermione.

'That I'm Slytherin's Heir, I expect,' said Harry.

'People here'll believe anything,' snorted Ron.

'That's the problem,' I said, 'they _will_ believe anything even if what they hear isn't true.'

'D'you _really_ think there's a Chamber of Secrets?' Ron then asked.

'I don't know,' said Hermione, frowning. 'Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be – well – human.' I looked at Hermione curiously.

'You mean it could be something else?' I asked.

'Theoretically,' shrugged Hermione.

I thought back to our History of Magic class, 'Professor Binns did say it was a monster that was kept in the chamber. I guess it could be anything.'

The stairs were getting emptier making it easier to get through. We climbed down the stairs and walked round the corner into the next corridor only to find ourselves back in the one where the first attack had happened. We came to a stop. I looked around the corridor. It looked very creepy now, the blood words still written on the wall but this time without Mrs Norris hanging by her tail in a torch bracket between them. Instead there was an empty chair sitting beneath the words where Filch would sit whenever he was keeping watch.

'Can't hurt to poke around,' shrugged Harry.

I watched as Harry put down his bag, got to his knees and began crawling around.

'Scorch marks!' he said, pointing at the floor. 'Here – and here –'

'Come and look at this!' said Hermione. 'This is funny …'

I walked over to where Hermione was standing by the window. I followed her point. My eyes fell upon a line of at least twenty spiders crawling up the topmost windowpane all trying to get out through a tiny crack in the glass. On the other side I could just see a long silvery thread they were using to get back down.

'Have you ever seen spiders act like that?' said Hermione. I shook my head.

'No,' said Harry, 'have you, Ron? Ron?'

I glanced round to see Ron was standing on the opposite side of the corridor.

'What's up?' said Harry.

'I – don't – like – spiders,' said Ron tensely.

'I never knew that,' said Hermione. 'You've used spiders in potions loads of times …'

'I don't mind them dead,' said Ron. 'I just don't like the way they move. It's not funny,' he snapped when Hermione giggled. 'If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my – my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick. You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and …'

'Remember all that water on the floor?' Harry then said, changing the subject. 'Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up.'

'It was about here,' said Ron. 'Level with this door.'

Ron stopped.

'What's the matter?' asked Harry.

'Can't go in there,' said Ron, 'that's a girls' toilet.'

'Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there,' said Hermione. 'That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look.'

'I thought it was in the Transfiguration Courtyard,' I said to myself, confused. Could the rooms in the castle move and change? I wouldn't put it past them.

Hermione pushed open the door to Myrtle's bathroom and we went inside. The bathroom was dank and had fallen into disrepair from all of Myrtle's tantrums. The place was filthy having not been cleaned for so long with the mirrors covered in dirt and the toilet cubicle doors falling off their hinges. The candles in the brackets had almost completely burnt through having not been replaced for years. Hermione placed her finger to her lips and nodded us to follow her. She walked over to the end most cubicle and pushed open the door.

'Hello, Myrtle, how are you?' she said.

Harry, Ron and I crowded round the door as Myrtle looked up at us from her spot on the cistern.

'This is a _girls'_ bathroom,' she said, eyeing Harry and Ron. ' _They're_ not girls.'

'Well spotted,' I muttered.

'No,' said Hermione over me, sending me a look. 'I just wanted to show them how – er – nice it is in here.'

'Ask her if she saw anything,' whispered Harry.

'What are you whispering?' said Myrtle suspiciously. She must have heard him.

'Nothing,' said Harry quickly. 'We wanted to ask –'

'Here we go,' I breathed.

'I wish people would stop talking behind my back!' snapped Myrtle. She shot off her toilet and flew straight up to her. 'I _do_ have feelings, you know, even if I _am_ dead.'

'Myrtle, no one wants to upset you,' said Hermione. 'Harry only –'

'No one wants to upset me!' shrieked Myrtle. 'That's a good one! My life was nothing but misery in this place and now people come along ruining my death!'

'That is the last thing we want to do,' I said. 'We really don't want to ruin your afterlife.'

'We wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything funny lately,' said Hermione quickly. It was always better to cut Myrtle off before she got into full stride of her wailing. 'Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Hallowe'en.'

'Did you see anyone near here that night?' asked Harry.

'I wasn't paying attention,' snapped Myrtle. 'Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to _kill_ myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm – that I'm –'

'Already dead,' suggested Ron. Hermione and I both sent him a look.

Myrtle let out a loud sob at Ron's comment before diving headfirst into the toilet behind her. The water sprayed out of the open lid all over us. We could just hear her sobs coming from inside somewhere near the U-bend. I sighed and turned to leave, Hermione commenting how that was almost cheerful for her standards. The sad fact was that was true.

'RON!'

The four of us jumped when we heard the sound of Percy's voice shouting at us as we shut the bathroom door behind us. He stared at us with a look of horror on his face.

''That's a _girls'_ bathroom,' said Percy, aghast. He almost sounded like his mother. 'What were _you_ –?'

'Just having a look around,' shrugged Ron. 'Clues, you know …'

'Get – away – from – there –' Percy came striding up to us and began shooing us away from the door, flapping his arms at us. 'Don't you _care_ what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner …'

'Why shouldn't we be here?' said Ron tersely. His ears were beginning to go red. 'Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!'

'That's what I told Ginny,' snapped Percy, 'but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled; I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out. You might think of _her_ , all the first-years are thoroughly over-excited by this business –'

' _You_ don't care about Ginny,' said Ron. ' _You're_ just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy!'

'Five points from Gryffindor!' shouted Percy. He jabbed at his Prefect badge. 'And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more _detective work_ , or I'll write to Mum!'

We kept away from Percy for the rest of night when we got back to the common room after dinner. We took refuge in our favourite seats in the corner and I dug out the day's homework from my bag to get started on it. Ron was still in a mood from our earlier confrontation with Percy, his Charms essay being on the receiving end of it when he accidentally set it alight when he was trying to remove the inkblots from it. In a fit of rage he slammed his copy of _The Standard Books of Spells, Grade 2_ shut, knocking over his inkwell and spraying my homework with ink as well. I grabbed my essay just in time before it was completely ruined. Beside me Hermione slammed her book shut too.

'What's got your wands in a knot?' I asked, shaking my essay free of any remaining wet ink. 'I don't think my essay can handle both of you being angry at the same time.'

'I'm just trying to work out who would have done such a thing,' said Hermione angrily. 'To have the power to Petrify something that even Dumbledore couldn't undo.'

'Well while you're trying to work it out, can you leave my essay out of it?' I retorted.

'Who can it be, though?' said Hermione, this time lowering her voice. 'Who'd _want_ all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?'

'Let's think,' said Ron sarcastically. 'Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?'

'If you're talking about Malfoy –' started Hermione, though she sounded unconvinced.

'Of course I am!' said Ron. 'You heard him: " _You'll be next, Mudbloods!_ " Come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him –'

'I heard him. But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?'

'Look at his family,' said Harry. He too seemed to have given up on his homework. 'The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendents. His father's definitely evil enough.'

'Not everyone whose family's been in Slytherin are bad,' I said quietly to myself.

'They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!' said Ron. 'Handing it down, father to son …'

'Well,' said Hermione, 'I suppose it's possible …'

'Hang on, you guys,' I said. It always seemed to fall to me to be the realistic one in moments like these. 'He's not the only one whose family could have been in Slytherin for generations. There are several families in that House – Nott and Flint to name a few – who could just as easily be the Slytherin Heir as Malfoy could be. There's no evidence to point the wand at anyone.'

'Jenna's right,' agreed Harry. Well at least someone was on my side. 'There's no evidence he was responsible for the attack on Mrs Norris either so how do we prove it?'

I held in a groan. I had a very strong sense of déjà vu as we sat here discussing theory upon theory regarding the Chamber of Secrets and who its Heir could be, just like last year when we sat discussing the Philosopher's Stone.

'There might be a way,' said Hermione slowly. She took a nervous glance across at Percy; he was in discussion with a fellow sixth-year. 'Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect.'

'When's that every stopped us before?' I asked.

'It's not something we should make a habit of,' retorted Hermione, frowning.

'If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?' said Ron. Hermione glared at him.

'All right,' Hermione huffed. 'What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realising it's us.'

'But that's impossible,' said Harry while Ron laughed.

'No, it's not,' corrected Hermione. 'All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion.'

'What's that?' asked Harry and Ron.

'Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago,' I said. Did the boys ever listen?

'D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?' muttered Ron.

I raised my eyebrow, looking straight at Ron, and said very flatly, 'No.'

'The Polyjuice Potion,' continued Hermione before Ron could retort, 'transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into four of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him.'

'This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me,' said Ron, frowning. 'What if we were stuck looking like four of the Slytherins forever?'

'It wears off after a while,' said Hermione impatiently, 'but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called _Moste Potente Potions_ and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the Library.'

'And we all know the only way to get a book from the Restricted Section is with a signed note from a teacher,' I said.

'Hard to see why we'd want the book, really,' said Ron, 'if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions.'

'I think,' said Hermione, 'that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance …'

'Oh, come on,' said Ron sarcastically, 'no teacher's going to fall for that. They'd have to be really thick to sign a note for us.'

'I think we know someone who we could convince,' I said. I glanced at Hermione. She smiled. It looked like she was thinking the same thing as me. 'Who do we know would do anything for one of his adoring fans?'

The following day's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was harder to endure than normal but only because Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had to keep Lockhart in a good mood so we could ask him to sign our note to get _Moste Potente Potions_ out of the Restricted Section of the Library. Today's re-enactment was taken from a passage in _Wanderings with Werewolves_ where Lockhart had cornered and forced a werewolf back to its human form to save a village from its attack. As usual, Lockhart had got Harry to help him with the demonstration, using him this time to play the werewolf. As I sat and watched I could see Harry was trying his best to play along despite how humiliating it probably was.

'Nice loud, howl, Harry – exactly –' Lockhart instructed him as Harry crouched on his hands and knees at Lockhart's feet, 'and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced – like this – _slammed_ him to the floor –' Lockhart slammed his elbow into Harry's shoulder's, forcing him down, 'thus – with one hand, I managed to hold him down – with my other, I put my wand to his throat – I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm – he let out a piteous moan – go on, Harry –' Harry gave a half-hearted howl, 'higher than that – good – the fur vanished – the fangs shrank – and he turned back into a man.'

Lockhart got up off of Harry and gave his wand a flourish.

'Simple, yet effective,' Lockhart beamed, '– and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks.'

By the time Lockhart had finished his demonstration I had a very dark look on my face. There were several facts about his story that were glaringly inaccurate, the main one being that the Homorphus Charm that Lockhart mentioned would have had no effect on the werewolf at all considering that the only way a werewolf can return to human form is when the full moon has waned. That and the werewolf would have killed him before he even had a chance to subdue it. When the bell rang I gathered my stuff glad another lesson with him was over. There was only so much I could take of his tall tales.

'Homework,' called Lockhart, 'compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of _Magical Me_ to the author of the best one.'

I rolled my eyes. Hermione and I walked to the back of the classroom to wait for Harry and Ron while the rest of the class filed past us.

'Ready?' Harry muttered.

'Wait till everyone's gone,' said Hermione nervously. Her eyes darted to the remaining few students in the room. They walked out the classroom, the door shutting behind them. 'All right …'

Hermione approached Lockhart's desk where he was busily signing something with his large peacock feather quill. His stationary was as flamboyant as he was. Harry, Ron and I followed.

'Er – Professor Lockhart?' stammered Hermione. 'I wanted to – to get this book out of the Library. Just for background reading.' She handed Lockhart the note we'd written requesting the book. 'But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the Library, so I need a teacher to sign for it – I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in _Gadding with Ghouls_ about slow-acting venoms …'

'Ah, _Gadding with Ghouls_!' said Lockhart brightly. He took the note from Hermione, not even looking at what was written on it. 'Possibly my very favourite book. You enjoyed it?'

'Oh, yes,' said Hermione. 'So clever, the way you trapped the last one with the tea-strainer …'

I bit back the desire to roll my eyes again at Hermione's enthusiasm.

'Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student in the year a little extra help,' said Lockhart. He picked up his quill again and with yet another flourish, he scribbled a large loopy signature on to the note. 'Yes, nice, isn't it?' he added, seeing Ron's look of disgust and misinterpreting it. 'I usually save it for book-signings.'

Lockhart handed the note back to Hermione. I turned to leave once it was safely back in her pocket.

'So, Harry,' Lockhart continued, 'tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players …'

It was hard to miss Harry's snort in response to Lockhart's advice. If it was anything like his classes, Harry would be safer declining the offer. The four of us left the classroom and headed down the spiral staircase, stopping at the base of the tower beside the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. Once out of sight, Hermione pulled out the note so we could look at it.

'I don't believe it,' said Harry. 'He didn't even _look_ at the book we wanted.'

'That's because he's a brainless git,' said Ron. 'But who cares, we've got what we needed.'

'He is _not_ a brainless git,' said Hermione reproachfully. She carefully folded the note again and we set off for the Library.

'Just because he said you were the best student in the year …'

'Which, to be fair, is true,' I reasoned, 'but Lockhart's still one spark short of a spell. If he'd have seen what book it was we wanted I think even he would know it had nothing to do with slow-acting venoms.'

Harry pushed open the door to the Library and we went inside. We fell silent so as not to disturb the atmosphere in the Library at the cost of Madam Pince's wrath. She was sat at her desk to the left of the door, her eyes peering down her hooked nose at a large tome in front of her. Pushing Hermione ahead of us, we walked over to her desk. Her vulture-like eyes watched us suspiciously as we approached. Hermione handed her the note.

' _Moste Potente Potions_?' she read suspiciously. Madam Pince tried to pull the note towards her for a better look but Hermione seemed reluctant to let it go.

'I was wondering if I could keep it,' said Hermione breathlessly.

'Oh, come on,' said Ron. He pulled the note from Hermione's hand and thrust it at Madam Pince. 'We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough.'

Madam Pince held up the note as if to check its authenticity. She peered at it through narrowed eyes before finally getting up and walking to the back of the Library where the Restricted Section was located. She returned a few minutes later carrying a large and mouldy-looking book. The words _Moste Potente Potions_ was just visible on the front cover in peeling gold letters. Hermione took the book and carefully put it in her bag. We then left the Library, trying to not walk too quickly to avoid any more suspicious looks from Madam Pince. Once the door was closed behind us, we hurried off back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom despite Ron's objections. Hermione locked the door behind us so we wouldn't be disturbed.

The four of us took a seat on the cold stone floor of the bathroom. We could just hear Moaning Myrtle crying in her toilet stall at the far end of the room. Hermione pulled out the book from her bag and laid it down between us so we could read what it said. Carefully she opened the cover and began to turn the stained pages. I wrinkled my nose as I glanced at the contents. It was certainly clear why this book was kept in the Restricted Section; some of the potions described and their illustrations made me want to gag.

'Here it is,' said Hermione. She pointed at a page that had a drawing of a woman with a spider on her head. Beside me Ron shivered. There were several others of people transforming into others, half themselves, half another.

'" _The Polyjuice Potion_ ",' I read out loud. '" _Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another. A dangerous process, the Polyjuice Potion is restricted to human transformations only_ ". It sounds painful if you ask me.'

'This is the most complicated potions I've ever seen,' muttered Hermione. 'Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed and knotgrass. Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves. Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn – don't know where we're going to get that … Shredded skin of a Boomslang – that'll be tricky, too – and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into.'

'Excuse me?' said Ron. 'What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking _nothing_ with Crabbe's toenails in it …'

Hermione continued as if she hadn't heard him.

'We don't have to worry about that yet, though,' she said, 'because we add those bits last …'

Harry, Ron and I shared a look.

'D'you realise how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione?' Harry asked. 'Shredded skin of Boomslang, that's definitely not in the student's cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea …'

'I may have stolen the odd chocolate bar from a cupboard before,' I said, agreeing with Harry, 'but even I never pushed it when I lived at the orphanage. Matron would have killed me if I'd stolen anything of importance, not that she didn't think I couldn't do it if I wanted to.'

Hermione snapped the book shut.

'Well, if you three are going to chicken out, fine,' said Hermione. Her cheeks flushed. ' _I_ don't want to break rules, you know. _I_ think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in …'

'We didn't say that,' I retorted.

'We just never thought we'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules,' said Ron. 'All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, OK?' Hermione nodded, opening the book again.

'How long will it take to make, anyway?' asked Harry.

'Well, as the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days … I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients.'

'A month?' repeated Ron. 'Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!' Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. 'But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead I say.'

For the next few days, Hermione and I were left in charge of gathering the ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion and getting them into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. With the reassurance that Myrtle wasn't going to bother us, having been in and out of the bathroom several times without receiving so much as a howl from her directed at us, Hermione and I set up a cauldron and hid the ingredients inside one of the cubicles that we could use once all the ingredients were collected. Hermione tapped her wand on the lock when the door was closed to ensure no one stumbled upon it, then doing the same on the main door to the bathroom. Even though the "out of order" sign was still on the door and most girls always tried to avoid the bathroom because of Myrtle, we didn't want to risk anyone discovering what we were doing.

On Saturday morning Hermione and I stopped by the bathroom to add the leeches we'd got from the Potions student cupboard during our last lesson to our collection before heading down to breakfast. The Great Hall was full when we got there and there was a buzz about the room as everyone talked about the first Quidditch match. The fact that the Slytherin team were all riding Nimbus Two Thousand and One broomsticks seemed to be causing quite a stir. Hermione and I took a seat next to Ron and Neville. Harry was sitting just up from us with the rest of the Gryffindor team. He looked as pale as he had done last year before his first match; I guess even after a year of being on the team, he still got nervous before matches. At eleven o'clock Ron, Hermione and I went down to the Quidditch pitch with the rest of the school. We caught Harry at the door to the changing rooms and wished him luck before taking a seat up in the stands with the rest of the Gryffindors.

The school cheered as the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams walked out on to the pitch. The players took their positions around Madam Hooch who was standing in the centre of the pitch, the Quidditch ball trunk sitting on the grass beside her. On her first whistle the players mounted their brooms and flew up into the air to await her signal. A second whistle and the balls were released. The game had begun. I watched as the players shot like arrows around the pitch, the Slytherins clearly having the advantage with their newer brooms, while Lee Jordan once again commentated on the actions.

Soon enough rain began to fall making it harder to see what was going on, the players turning into nothing more than green and red streaks. I squinted through it with the hood of my jacket up to help deflect it away from my face. Relying on Jordan's commentary, I knew that Slytherin were already sixty points ahead of Gryffindor thanks to the speed of their brooms. A blur of red suddenly shot in front of my line of vision followed closely by a small black orb. I followed it to see the red blur duck under a second as it battered the black circle back in the opposite direction. The next moment the whistle had blown and the Slytherins in the crowd were booing at the timeout that had been called.

'What d'you think is going on?' asked Ron. The Gryffindor team were all gathered in a huddle on the pitch having called the timeout.

'I don't know,' said Hermione. 'It seems unusual for a timeout to be called this early on in a match.'

'Maybe Wood's changing their tactics,' I suggested. 'We haven't scored once since the game started and Slytherin are already sixty points up.'

After a few minutes discussion the game resumed. It soon became clear why the timeout had been called; following the red streak with black hair, I watched as Harry flew erratically around the pitch being chased by the black orb that I gathered was one of the Bludgers. It chased him relentlessly and Fred and George were doing nothing to stop it. I frowned, wondering why the Bludger wouldn't leave Harry alone and why the twins weren't doing anything about it. Harry shot in one direction before suddenly doubling back, the Bludger mirroring his moves seconds later. I saw him shoot past a player dressed in green with white hair I could easily identify was Malfoy before stopping for no apparent reason. Harry floated there for only a few seconds before –

WHAM

The Bludger that had been chasing him smacked Harry hard in the arm. I winced as I watched. There was no way Harry's arm would still be in one piece after that. I gasped as Harry swung off his broom, my reactions alerting Ron and Hermione beside me while the majority of the crowd were still watching the rest of the game. The Bludger came back for a second attack. Harry narrowly avoided it, swinging himself round and back on to his broom, then went straight into a dive. He shot towards where Malfoy had been watching him. I don't know what possessed Harry to do it as he took his other hand away from his broom giving him no control over it. Seconds later he crashed on to the ground in the mud.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded and Jordan's announcement confirmed what had happened.

'HARRY POTTER'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH!' shouted Jordan over the sound of the rain. 'GRYFFINDOR WINS ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TO SIXTY!'

While the crowds began cheering at the result, I turned to Ron and Hermione.

'We better go see if Harry's all right,' I said to them. 'That Bludger could have done a lot of damage.'

'Professor Lockhart's already down there,' said Hermione. I glanced down into the pitch; sure enough, I could just see his wavy blond hair streaking over to where Harry lay in a heap on the grass. 'I'm sure he'll be able to heal Harry.'

'Don't count on it,' Ron muttered to me. I nodded, and we headed out of the stands down to the pitch.

Lockhart was leaning over Harry when we got down on to the pitch, several Gryffindors including Colin Creevey and his camera following behind us as we joined the team crowded around him. Just to the side Fred and George were trying to wrestle the rogue Bludger back into the Quidditch trunk.

'Stand back,' commanded Lockhart, rolling up his jade green sleeves. He had his wand out. It looked like he was going to attempt to fix Harry's arm.

'No – don't –' said Harry weakly but Lockhart had done the spell before we could stop him. He pointed his wand at Harry's arm. There was a weird blue light and a slight buzzing sound that faded away after a moment or two. I watched in shock as Harry's arm suddenly began to flatten before falling limply to one side.

'Ah,' said Lockhart. 'Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken.' He lifted Harry's floppy arm, folded it in half then let it fall forwards again. 'That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the Hospital Wing – ah, Mr Weasley, Miss Black, Miss Granger, would you escort him? – and Madam Pomfrey will be able to – er – tidy you up a bit.'

'Wouldn't have needed tidying up at all if he'd have just let me go to the Hospital Wing in the first place,' muttered Harry faintly as he leant on Ron and we walked back to the castle.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't happy when she saw Harry's boneless arm when we finally reached the Hospital Wing. She instantly bustled him and Ron forwards to a bed, muttering furiously, before disappearing back into her office to get whatever she needed to heal him. Hermione took the chair beside his bed while I placed Harry's broom down on the floor by it.

'You should have come straight to me!' raged Madam Pomfrey. She came back out of her office carrying a bottle that looked a bit like a skeleton. She put the bottle down on the bedside table then examined Harry's limp arm. I could just see the label read "Skele-Gro". 'I can mend bones in a second – but growing them back –'

'You will be able to, won't you?' asked Harry desperately.

'I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful,' said Madam Pomfrey. She conjured a pair of pyjamas and practically threw them at Harry. 'You'll have to stay the night …'

'How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?' said Ron through the curtain Madam Pomfrey had put up while he helped Harry into the pyjamas. 'If Harry had wanted de-boning he would have asked.'

'Anyone can make a mistake,' said Hermione, 'and it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry?'

'No,' said Harry, 'but it doesn't do anything else, either.'

Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtains revealing Harry now in bed, his arm lying limply beside him. She picked up the bottle of Skele-Gro and proceeded to pour some into a glass. The liquid was clear but seemed to smoke as it was poured out.

'You're in for a rough night,' said Madam Pomfrey, handing him the glass. 'Regrowing bones in a nasty business.' Harry took a sip of the potion only to spit it out again seconds later; I narrowly missed being sprayed in it. 'Well, what do you expect, pumpkin juice?'

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes then left us alone with Harry to go back into her office, taking the Skele-Gro with her.

'I hope you aren't going to make a habit of getting injured in your first Qudditch match of the season,' I said once she was gone. I took a seat on the end of Harry's bed, Ron sitting on the arm of the chair Hermione was in. 'I don't think Wood would cope if his prized Seeker is continually put out of action like last year.'

'I wouldn't be out of action if Lockhart hadn't removed my bones,' said Harry.

'We won though,' said Ron, grinning. 'That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face … he looked ready to kill!'

'I want to know how he fixed that Bludger,' said Hermione. She was frowning. She must have been trying to figure it out since the match had ended.

'We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion,' said Harry. 'I hope it tastes better than this stuff …'

'If it's got bits of Slytherin in it? You've got to be joking.'

Our conversation was put to a stop when the doors of the Hospital Wing burst open. Soaking wet and still in their Quidditch uniforms, the Gryffindor Quidditch team burst in with their arms full of sweets and cakes, congratulating Harry on another amazing capture of the Snitch. No sooner though were we tucking into the Cauldron Cakes Fred and George must have snuck from the kitchen did Madam Pomfrey come back of her office and stormed straight over to Harry's bed.

'This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!'

'So much for the party,' muttered George as we walked out of the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey slamming the door shut behind us.

Instead of going back to the Gryffindor Tower with Ron and Hermione for the customary celebratory party after winning the match, I had other things in mind. That voice I'd heard in the walls was still in the back of my mind even though I hadn't heard it again since Hallowe'en. It puzzled me how only Harry and I could hear it but no one else could. What was stranger was that Harry could detect it much better than I could, being able to follow it through the walls of the castle. I knew it was a long shot, but I questioned whether the fact I was a Feramorph – or Animagus, whatever you want to call me – had something to do with the reason I could hear the voice though I had no idea why an animal would be running around Hogwarts attacking Muggle-borns without someone telling it to. Taking refuge in a back corner of the Library, I searched through the history section for anything that could potentially have information on what I was, hoping it might lead me to an answer that might help us find out what was going on.

My search proved to be futile. I spent ages going through book after book without much luck and darkness had fallen by the time I gave up to return to the Tower having missed dinner. Lupin was right when he said there was very little information on Feramorphs. All I found was a couple of paragraphs on the subject in an old Transfiguration journal documenting the Animagus process, and all the information that was there I already knew from what Lupin had already told me. It did, however, state that these wizards were better communicators with animals, particularly when in animal form themselves as opposed to when in human form, being able to understand their emotions much better than a normal wizard could. Well, I already knew I could speak to animals when in animal form; Lupin and I had had several conversations during the full moon when he was Moony that I fully understood and could reply to.

I replaced all the books I'd looked through back on to their shelves. That's when I heard it again.

 _Blood … I need blood …_

It stopped almost as soon as it had started. It sounded like it was nearby but I couldn't tell how close to me it was. The voice sounded exactly as before though, the same cold rasping tone. It unsettled me, being able to hear it but not know anything more, nor being able to track it like Harry could. I just hoped that hearing it again didn't mean what I thought it meant. That someone else had been attacked.

The next morning after breakfast Ron, Hermione and I headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to check on the Polyjuice Potion. We locked the door behind us before unlocking the cubicle which had the cauldron and ingredients hidden inside. Hermione pulled out the cauldron and set it up on the floor near to the column of sinks by the entrance. A few cubicles down we could hear Myrtle gurgling away in her U-bend; she was unlikely to disturb us as it sounded like she was moping about something again. Hermione and I both sat down around the cauldron and began to prepare it while Ron stood leaning against the wall watching us.

'It's me,' said a voice from outside the door causing Hermione to gasp. She instantly got up and ran to the door to look through the keyhole.

' _Harry!_ ' Hermione unlocked the door with a tap of her wand to let Harry in. He looked much better now as did his arm. 'You gave us such a fright. Come in – how's your arm?'

'Fine,' said Harry. He closed the door behind him and Hermione locked it again.

'We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion,' Ron explained. 'We've decided this is the safest place to hide it. Enlighten me though,' Ron added, looking at Hermione and me, 'I know this is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and all but why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight in the middle of a girls' bathroom? Don't you think we'll get caught?'

Hermione and I smirked at each other.

'No,' I said. 'No one ever comes in here because of Myrtle. You know that, Ron.'

'Yeah, but honestly, how bad can Myrtle be?' As Ron asked this, I saw out the corner of my eye Myrtle's head poke through the door of her cubicle. She must have heard we were talking about her. 'I mean, she's only a ghost. She can't be that bad.'

'Can't be that bad, can I?' shrieked Myrtle, making Ron jump when she swooped up to him. Myrtle glared at him then floated over us above the sinks so she stare at us all, tears already welling up in her eyes. 'It was the same when I was alive,' she wailed. 'I wouldn't expect a boy like you to know me. Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?'

Myrtle let out a high-pitched scream. She flew between where Hermione and I sat by the cauldron causing a shiver to go down my spine before diving headfirst back into her toilet. There was a splash of water as she sunk back into the U-bend.

'She's a little sensitive,' I added. 'Remember what happened at the Deathday party?'

'I can hardly forget,' muttered Ron.

'Putting that aside,' said Harry, changing the subject, 'I have something important to tell you. There was another attack last night.'

'We already know,' said Hermione over him, 'we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going on brewing the potion.'

'At least he's only been Petrified,' I said bracingly. 'It's harsh but at least he wasn't killed.'

'The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better,' growled Ron. 'D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin.'

I glanced at Ron, my eyebrow raised. I doubted even Malfoy would do something like that just out of spite. Normally he'd just mock us instead.

'There's something else,' said Harry. 'Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night.'

Dobby was a house-elf Harry had met during the summer holidays. Harry had told Hermione and me about him when we had met up in Diagon Alley to get our school things. He'd appeared in his bedroom at Privet Drive to give Harry a warning to not return to school this year but hadn't said why. When Harry had refused, he caused a dessert his aunt had made to fall on the head of a guest of the Dursleys, which had resulted in Harry being locked in his room and thus needing rescuing by Ron and his brothers in the first place. It was Dobby who had caused Harry and Ron to miss the train at the start of term by sealing off the barrier to not let them through when Harry had managed to escape the Dursleys, and he had been the one to make the Bludger chase after Harry at the Quidditch match yesterday, all to try and get Harry away from Hogwarts because of the Chamber of Secrets had been reopened.

'Strange,' I muttered, frowning. 'I've never heard of a house-elf acting like that before. Normally they can't do anything without their master's permission. But you say it was because he wanted to keep you away from the school?'

Harry nodded, 'Yeah, even if it meant sending me home in pieces all because history was going to repeat itself.'

'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened _before_?' repeated Hermione curiously.

'That settles it,' said Ron triumphantly. 'Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking round the school.'

'Maybe it can make itself invisible,' said Hermione. She gave the cauldron a stir, mixing the leeches that were floating on the surface sink back down. 'Or maybe it can disguise itself – pretend to be a suit of armour or something. I've read about Chameleon Ghouls …'

'You read too much, Hermione,' said Ron. He then turned to Harry. 'So Dobby stopped us getting on the train and broke your arm … You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you.'

'I'm not sure it's a Chameleon Ghoul,' I then said, going back to our previous conversation. I gave the potion a stir having now added the lacewing flies to it. 'A creature that Petrifies its victims and can somehow hide itself. Loads of creatures can disguise themselves as a defence mechanism but not many have the ability to petrify someone.'

'How do you know so much about creatures?' asked Harry.

'My Uncle,' I shrugged. 'He's a bit of a creature fanatic. He did Care of Magical Creatures when he was at school here.'

'D'you think he'd know what creature is inside the Chamber?' asked Ron hopefully. I shook my head.

'I doubt it,' I said. 'He wasn't at Hogwarts _that_ long ago. He's only in his thirties.'

'Wow, your uncle's quite young,' said Harry. 'I think my parents are meant to be about that age too.' I glanced at Harry when he said this. 'Maybe they knew each other.'

'Maybe they did,' I shrugged. 'Who knows?'

'There, that's about all we can do for now,' said Hermione. She pointed her wand at the flame beneath the cauldron so it was extinguished. 'We just have to leave it until we get the rest of the ingredients. It should be all right sitting here without anything bad happening to it.'

Hermione and I gathered up the cauldron and the empty ingredient packets and bottles and put them back inside the cubicle, locking the door behind us so that it wouldn't be found. With the Polyjuice Potion safely hidden away again, we left Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

The news of Colin's attack spread quickly throughout the school like all news did here and by Monday morning, it was clear that everybody knew. Everywhere the four of us went we heard whispers and rumours surrounding what had happened after the Quidditch match that had led to him being attacked but it was all speculation. The first-years in particular were very freaked out by the news. They were now travelling in packs around the castle to get to their classes, huddled together as tightly as possible so that none of them could be attacked individually. Poor Ginny was very upset by the news as Colin had apparently been someone she got on with very well in her year and would sit next to him in class. Of course, Fred and George didn't help the situation by trying to scare her by jumping out from behind statues covered in fur and boils that they claimed were to cheer her up. It took Percy threatening to tell Mrs Weasley about Ginny having nightmares to get them to stop.

With the news of another attack, several of the students began selling various lucky charms and talismans under the noses of the teachers claiming they would protect the owners from the Heir of Slytherin. Being the nervous boy he was, Neville was easily persuaded to part with his gold for some of them, buying a large rotten onion, a pointed purple crystal and a rotting newt-tail that he insisted on carrying around with him in the pocket of his robe. The smell coming from them was awful.

'I really think you're being over cautious,' Hermione said to him one lunchtime. 'Talismans are only used by the superstitious.'

'If it means the Heir of Slytherin doesn't come after me,' said Neville nervously, 'I'll live with the smell if I have to.'

'Neville, you're a pure-blood,' said Seamus. 'The Heir of Slytherin is only going after Muggle-borns. It won't attack you anyway.'

'They went for Filch first,' said Neville, 'and everyone knows I'm almost a Squib.'

Given Neville's track record in class, I couldn't fault his logic in that statement.

The wet November weather soon made way for the chill of December. Soon almost every fireplace in the castle was lit with an inextinguishable fire in an attempt to hold off the cold winds that now swept around the windowless corridors. The Gryffindor Tower certainly became a haven of warmth for us whenever we were doing our homework. In the second week, Professor McGonagall came round as she had done the previous year to get the names of the students who were planning to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I all signed the list once we heard that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were all staying despite how odd it seemed for them to do so. It was the best chance we had at using the potion to get the confession out of Malfoy about being behind the attacks.

Unfortunately the potion still wasn't ready as we still hadn't collected the Boomslang skin or Bicorn horn. The only way to get them was to steal it from Snape's private stores within his office, a move that none of us were that keen on doing. The idea of being caught by Snape and the detention we'd receive because of it was enough to put all of us off continuing with our plan but at the same time the thought of more Muggle-borns being attacked was even worse. We only had a couple of Potions classes left of the term, so we had only a few opportunities left to get the ingredients before term ended. It was now or never.

'What we need,' said Hermione, 'is a diversion.' We were huddled together in the courtyard outside the Entrance Hall, waiting for the bell to ring to signal the start of lessons after lunch. 'Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need.'

Harry, Ron and I shared a concerned look.

'I think I'd better do the actual stealing,' Hermione continued. 'You two will be expelled if you get in any more trouble, and I've got a clean record.'

'Hermione, have you actually ever stolen anything before?' I asked. 'Besides the biscuits you used to use your magic to nick before you came here.'

'Well, no,' said Hermione. 'I've never had to steal before in my life.'

'Perhaps you better let me do it then,' I said. 'I'm not proud of it, but I have stolen the odd thing before. Nothing from a shop or anything like that before you say anything,' I added hastily when the others all looked at me with shocked expressions. 'I only stole things from the other children at the orphanage to get back at them when they teased me and I always put the stuff back after they'd gone nuts trying to find it. Plus, like you said, you have a clean record. I'm not the best behaved student in the year but at least I won't be ruining anything if I get caught.'

'First the lock-picking, now stealing,' muttered Harry. 'What else don't we know you can do?'

 _A lot more than you might think_ , I thought to myself silently.

'OK, Jenna will go and steal the ingredients,' said Hermione. 'So all you need to do,' she said to Harry and Ron, 'is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so.'

Our Potions lesson proceeded like every other Potions lesson. As we brewed our Swelling Solutions, Snape prowled up and down the rows of tables peering distastefully into each of our cauldrons at the substandard potions we were brewing and making sneering remarks to all of the Gryffindors about how runny their potions were. As usual only the Slytherins, particularly Malfoy, got any praise even if was just a slight improvement on one of our potions. When Snape finally reached Neville's cauldron, whom he took a particular interest in bullying for his skills, Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded for him and Ron to start the distraction.

I kept my eyes on my Swelling Solution while also watching Harry out of the corner of them. I saw him duck down behind his table and light the firework Ron had given him before lobbing it straight into Goyle's cauldron in front of him. As soon as I heard the bang of his potion exploding and Snape's attention was diverted to the chaos now ensuing at the front of the dungeon, I quietly slipped out of my seat and crept over to the side door that led into Snape's office.

Snape's office was a small circular dungeon leading off the classroom. It was even darker than the Potions classroom with only a few candles burning in brackets along the walls. At the opposite side to the door sat Snape's desk while all around the walls were shelves and shelves of various jars and ingredients. In the dim light they cast an odd green glow around the room. Knowing I had less that about five minutes, my eyes scanned the jars for the ingredients we needed. It wasn't easy in the low light but I managed to find the Boomslang skin and the Bicorn horn and pocket a jarful of each of them into my robes. Back in the classroom I could hear the commotion from the explosion start to die down meaning I was running out of time. Quickly I crept back out of Snape's office while he still had his back to the door and shut it behind me, crawling back over to my seat so it looked like I'd never left.

At the front of the class several of the Slytherins were sporting various swollen limbs and features; Malfoy, who had been sitting next to Goyle, was trying hard to support his head that now had a very large nose protruding from it. I stifled a laugh when I saw him. Snape gave each of them the antidote to the potion before swooping down on Goyle's cauldron and pulling out the remains of the firework from it. A silence fell in the classroom.

'If I ever find out who threw this,' whispered Snape dangerously, 'I shall _make sure_ that person is expelled.'

I saw Snape's eyes land on Harry beside me. The bell went moments later and the four of us quickly left the classroom. With the ingredients sat in my pocket, we rushed straight to Myrtle's bathroom.

'He knew it was me,' said Harry. 'I could tell.'

Once safely locked away inside the bathroom, I gave Hermione the ingredients so she could add them to the potion. She threw them straight into the potion and began to stir it.

'It'll be ready in a fortnight,' she said happily.

'Snape can't prove it was you,' Ron said to Harry. 'What can he do?'

'Knowing Snape, something foul,' muttered Harry.

'Let's not think about that,' I said. 'The less we think about what we've just done, the better.'

Leaving the potion to stew, the four of us snuck back out of the bathroom being careful not to be caught by Filch who was lurking nearby.

The following Wednesday when Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were walking across the Entrance Hall to go for dinner we noticed a group of people reading something that had been posted on the notice board next to the doors of the Great Hall. In amongst them were Seamus and Dean. They waved us over when they saw us. We made our way through the crowd to read the parchment note that had been pinned there. I looked at the notice to see it was written in the same loopy handwriting I'd seen scrawled all over my homework so many times this term, only just being able to read what it said. It looked like Lockhart was starting a Duelling club.

'First meeting tonight!' said Seamus enthusiastically. 'I wouldn't mind duelling lessons, they might come in handy one of these days …'

'What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?' said Ron. Despite his remark, he too was reading the sign with great curiosity. 'Could be useful,' he then said to us. We turned away and walked into the Hall. 'Shall we go?'

While Harry and Hermione were both keen on the idea, I wasn't. Regardless of what Lockhart had written in his books, I was somewhat doubtful of what his duelling skills were like, considering he couldn't even sort out some escaped Cornish pixies during our first lesson. Nevertheless, after dinner we rushed to the Gryffindor Tower to dump our schoolbooks and get out of our robes, then returned back to the Great Hall for eight o'clock in time for the Club to begin.

The Great Hall had been transformed when we were allowed back inside. The four House tables had vanished to be replaced by a single long golden stage in the centre of the Hall. The room looked even brighter than usual with its thousands of candles floating above it and the torches lit along the walls while the night sky was a dark black in comparison.

'I wonder who'll be teaching us?' said Hermione excitedly. 'Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young, maybe it'll be him.'

'I highly doubt that judging by the writing on the notice,' I said.

'As long as it's not –' begun Harry but he groaned before he had even finished his sentence.

Dressed in dark plum robes for the occasion with a cloak draped over one shoulder, as I'd expected, Lockhart strode bold as brass on to the stage to a round of applause from mainly the female percentage of the students gathered. Beside him strode a very sullen looking Snape. It looked like he'd been coerced into helping him. Lockhart waved an arm and a hush fell over the Hall.

'Gather round, gather round!' he called. 'Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!'

I felt Hermione grab my arm and she pulled me nearer to the stage so we could get a better view, Harry and Ron sloping along behind us. Lockhart pulled the cord holding his cloak and took it off, throwing it into the crowd; several girls gasped and attempted to catch it, Angelina being the lucky one to do so. I rolled my eyes then looked back up at Lockhart and Snape.

'Now Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Duelling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works.

'Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape,' Lockhart continued, his smile as broad as ever. I glanced at Snape; if looks could kill, Lockhart would be dead several times over by now. 'He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry – you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!'

'I didn't know Snape could duel,' Ron whispered to Harry and me.

'Maybe he only agreed to help as he'd get to hex Lockhart,' I suggested. The boys sniggered.

'Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?' said Ron. 'No more Potions or Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons.'

'The way Snape's glaring at Lockhart, I'd say Lockhart might be going to the Hospital Wing shortly himself,' said Harry.

Lockhart and Snape walked to the centre of the platform then turned to face each other. Lockhart and Snape raised their wands in front of their faces, lowered them again, and bowed to each other, Snape merely nodding his head rather than bowing with a flourish of his wand like Lockhart. Both turned on their heels and walked a few steps away from the middle before facing each other again. They raised their wands again, holding them as if they were proper weapons instead of aids to performing magic. I had to admit in spite of myself it was rather interesting to watch. I'd never seen a duel before, even an amateur demonstration like this.

'As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,' explained Lockhart. 'On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.'

'I wouldn't bet on that,' Harry murmured. I could see what he meant. Snape's lip had curled up baring his teeth.

'One – two – three –'

With a swipe of their wands, Snape cried, ' _Expelliarmus!_ ' That spell had been in one of our textbooks listed under the Disarming Charm. All it was meant to do was knock whatever the opposing wizard was holding out of their hands. The amount of magic Snape put into though must have been much more than was needed for something as simple as knocking Lockhart's wand away. A bright red flash shot from Snape's wand hitting Lockhart squarely in the chest. He was sent flying backwards off the stage and into the back wall of the Hall, sliding down it with a dull thump.

'Do you think he's all right?' gasped Hermione. She was straining to see whether or not Lockhart was hurt. A shock whisper was going round the crowd while you could just hear the odd chuckle as well.

'Who cares?' said Harry, Ron and I in unison.

Lockhart got back to his feet. He picked up his hat and put it back on his hair that was now standing on end.

'Well, there you have it!' said Lockhart, his voice not as confident as before. 'That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I've lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see …'

Lockhart trailed off as he seemed to wilt under Snape's icy glare.

'Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me …'

 _Gasbag_ , I thought once again.

Snape and Lockhart stepped down off the stage and began making their way through the crowd diving people into partners. Standing with Harry, Ron and Hermione, I silently hoped that I would get paired with one of them. Unfortunately for us, Snape reached us before Lockhart. His black eyes fell on the four of us standing together and smirk lifted up the edge of his lips.

'Time to split up the dream team, I think,' he sneered. 'Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter –'

Harry instantly moved closer to Hermione and me.

'I don't think so,' said Snape. 'I will not have you and Black causing trouble under my watch.' I frowned; there was a strange tone in Snape's voice as he said that, as if it was something that had happened before. I know Harry and I had gotten into a lot of trouble before but this sounded as if it had only been us; Ron and Hermione were always involved whenever we had gotten in trouble in the past so I had no idea what Snape meant. 'Mr Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. Miss Granger – you can partner Miss Bulstrode – while Miss Black, you can partner Miss Parkinson.'

Pansy Parkinson was one of the Slytherin girls in our year group who seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face, not to mention an unfortunate black bob haircut with a square fringe that didn't help things. As Hermione sent me a pleading look after seeing she was paired with the rather large Millicent Bulstrode, I turned away and approached Pansy. She had her arms folded with her wand clasped in her hand as she watched me walk over to her, her eyes narrowed beneath her thick fringe.

'Face your partners and bow!' called Lockhart, back on the stage. 'Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent – _only_ to disarm them – we don't want any accidents.'

'Guess I'm paired with you, Black,' Pansy spat disdainfully.

'Trust me, I have no more desire to be paired with you, Pansy,' I replied.

'Only because you know you won't beat me,' said Pansy. 'A half-blood like you wouldn't be able to perform a spell good enough to beat someone like me. I mean, just look at you!'

I looked down myself almost automatically. By now everyone around us was practicing duelling each other, wands and spells flying in all directions. It appeared Pansy was more interested in a duel of words rather than spells.

'You have absolutely no pride in your appearance let alone your blood,' Pansy continued. I raised my eyebrow; what did she know about my blood? 'We pure-bloods know how to dress and act like our heritage demands and yet you're from one of the most distinguished families!'

'What do you know about my family?' I asked, distinctly nettled by her comments.

'I know the Blacks are practically royalty,' sneered Pansy. It sounded like she was jealous, either that or disgusted. 'We Parkinsons are in the _Pure-blood Directory_ too, you know. So is Draco's family.'

'So what?' I said. 'I don't give two spells about my heritage. It doesn't make me better than any other wizard, pure-blood or not.'

'Clearly,' sneered Pansy. Her eyes wandered up and down me for a second time. 'Terrible Muggle-like clothes; disgusting long hair probably full of mats and tangles; not a hint of dignity in what you look like.'

By now I was getting rather tired of Pansy's condescending remarks, however, instead of interrupting her mid-rant, I subtly pointed my wand at her and said under my breath, ' _Oculus Transeo_.' The invisible effect of the spell shot out of my wand hitting Pansy in the face. She stumbled backwards blinking furiously. When she opened them again her brown eyes had been forced to look towards each other making her cross-eyed. I held in a snigger at her confused appearance.

Unfortunately Lockhart had seen me do the spell.

'Now, now, Miss Black,' said Lockhart reproachfully, 'we're only working on Disarming our opponents at the moment.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, Professor,' I said innocently, fluttering my eyelashes like Hermione would whenever she spoke to him. If Harry or Ron had seen me, they would have thought I'd flipped my cauldron. 'I didn't mean to use that spell. It just slipped out when she and I were practicing.'

'Very well,' he said. 'Miss Parkinson, if you just pop along to the Hospital Wing I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to sort you out.' I held back another snigger as I watched Pansy staggered through the crowd towards the doors. 'Miss Black, why don't you join Miss Patil and Miss Brown while – I say, what's going on over there?'

Over the other side of the room, I could see Harry and Malfoy were squaring up to each other both with a glare on their faces. A silver jet of light shot from Harry's wand tip hitting Malfoy in the stomach and sending him backwards on to the floor. He tried to stand up but was laughing too much having been hit by a Tickling Charm.

' _I said disarm only!_ ' shouted Lockhart.

' _Tarantallegra!_ ' choked Malfoy through his laughter. The spell hit Harry causing him to fall over as he no longer had any control over his legs.

'Stop! Stop!' yelled Lockhart but no one was listening.

' _Finite Incantatem!_ ' bellowed Snape's voice over the noise.

Harry's feet immediately stopped dancing while Malfoy was finally able to draw a breath having stopped laughing. Snape's shout had been heard throughout the Hall as the duels around us ended. I looked round at the chaos. Neville and Justin Finch-Fletchly were both in a heap on the floor; Ron, whose wand had clearly backfired again, was holding up a very ashen-faced Seamus while sporting a couple of singe marks on his cheek I presumed were from Seamus causing something to explode again; while Millicent Bulstrode currently had Hermione in a headlock, a pained look on her face as she grappled at Millicent's thick arm. Harry leapt forwards and pulled her off Hermione.

'Dear, dear,' said Lockhart, his eyes scanning the Hall. 'Up you get, Macmillan … careful there, Miss Fawcett … pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot …' He ran his hand over his forehead, clearly flustered. 'I think I'd better teach you how to _block_ unfriendly spells,' said Lockhart. 'Let's have a volunteer pair – Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?'

'A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,' said Snape. 'Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the Hospital Wing in a matchbox.' I saw Neville just across from me turn bright pink. 'How about Malfoy and Potter?' Snape then suggested with a smile.

'Excellent idea!' said Lockhart. He gestured for Harry and Malfoy to go up on the stage. I frowned; this wasn't going to be good.

I rejoined Ron and Hermione to watch Harry duel Malfoy on the stage. Lockhart was speaking to Harry, I assume to give him some sort of instruction, and dropped his wand. I cringed. Snape, meanwhile, was whispering something in Malfoy's ear. When both teachers had stepped away, Harry and Malfoy faced each other, bowed, then walked away in the opposite direction to take their starting positions. They raised their wands, ready.

'Three – two – one – go!' shouted Lockhart.

With a sharp flick of his wand, Malfoy lunged forwards and shouted, ' _Serpensortia!_ '

There was a loud bang. From the end of Malfoy's wand shot a long black snake. It landed on the floor of the stage between Harry and Malfoy and raised its head, looking around at the number of students surrounding them. It let out an angry hiss. The people closest to the stage began to scream and back away from it as it slithered around hissing angrily at anyone near it. Both Ron and Hermione had taken a step back while I remained where I was, my eyes focused on the snake. I could feel how angry it was, not from being attacked, but because it was surrounded by too many people.

'Don't move, Potter,' said Snape lazily. It looked like he was enjoying this. 'I'll get rid of it …'

'Allow me!' shouted Lockhart.

He twirled his wand and pointed it at the snake. There was another loud bang and, instead of being dispelled, the snake flew up into the air then landed hard back on the floor. If it felt threatened before, it didn't anymore. Its hisses became more violent as it searched for whatever had attacked it. Its eyes fell on to where Justin was standing with Hannah and Ernie. Exposing its fangs the snake slithered forwards towards him ready to strike.

' _Don't attack him!_ '

I jumped when I heard that voice speak. I looked round wildly for where it had come from only to realise seconds later that Harry was staring at the snake, his eyes focused on it with great intensity. He was walking towards it not caring that it was going to attack anything that came near it.

' _Leave him!_ ' said Harry. His voice sounded strange. It was all low and hissy, like a snake's. ' _Leave him!_ '

I looked away from Harry back at the snake. It stopped hissing and looked at Harry before slumping down on the stage completely docile. With the snake subdued, Harry seemed to snap out of the trance he'd been in and looked towards the crowd where Justin was. I don't know what he expected to see but his grin was not reciprocated by Justin.

'What do you think you're playing at?' shouted Justin. And he stormed off out of the Hall. Ernie and Hannah followed after him.

The shocked atmosphere in the Hall was slowly disappearing as the crowd began to whisper about what they had just witnessed. Snape had raised his wand and pointed it at the snake causing it to vanish in a puff of black smoke. The snake let out one last hiss as it burnt from its middle where the spell had hit it to its head and the tip of his tail. I felt a terrible pain go through me as it vanished, almost as if I could feel the pain it felt when it was vanished.

Quickly I snuck through the crowd and out of the Hall. I ran back to the Tower completely spooked by what had just happened. What had Harry just done and why could I understand what he had said to the snake when no one else seemed to have been able to? I said the password and the Fat Lady let me into the Gryffindor common room. I finally stopped running and caught my breath. I looked up though when I heard something in the corner. It was Ginny. She was sitting hunched up on the floor.

'Harry – snake – Riddle –' she said to herself. I cautiously approached her.

'Ginny?' I said gently so as not to surprise her. 'Are you OK?'

I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. She looked up at me with wide eyes. Before she could anything the portrait hole burst open again as Ron and Hermione dragged Harry inside the common room. When I turned back to Ginny, she was gone. Not knowing who or what was Riddle and having not had the chance to ask her, I got up and went over to the others to find out what had happened down in the Hall.

'You're a Parselmouth,' gasped Ron. 'Why didn't you tell us?'

'I'm a what?' said Harry, confused.

' _A Parselmouth!_ ' repeated Ron. 'You can talk to snakes!'

'I know,' said Harry. 'I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once – long story – but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to. That was before I knew I was a wizard …'

'You're joking, right?' I asked, shocked by how casually Harry had just told us that.

'A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?' Ron repeated faintly. He looked at Hermione and me.

'So?' said Harry. 'I bet loads of people here can do it.'

'Oh no they can't,' said Ron. 'It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad.'

'What's bad?' said Harry, getting frustrated. 'What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin –'

'Oh, that's what you said to it?'

'What d'you mean? You were there … you heard me.'

'No, we didn't Harry,' said Hermione who so far had been completely silent, a first for her. 'None of us could understand what you were saying.'

'We heard you speaking Parseltongue,' explained Ron, 'snake language. You could have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was creepy, you know.'

Harry's mouth fell open. I, however, had thoughts racing through my head. Harry had spoken Parseltongue, the language of snakes, and I could understand it. But how when I wasn't transformed?

'I spoke a different language?' breathed Harry. 'But – I didn't realise – how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?'

'Parseltongue is one of the few animal languages that a wizard can be taught,' I explained. 'Every animal has its own language but very few teach it to wizards, mainly because most wizards don't have the capacity or the necessary connection with animals to be able to learn it. Snakes are one of the few animals who are grouped as familiars to wizards and so those who kept snakes as companions were able to be taught the language and then pass it on through their families.'

'But – d'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a dirty great snake biting Justin's head off?' said Harry. 'What does it matter _how_ I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?'

'It matters,' said Hermione. 'It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent.'

'Slytherin had a snake as a familiar,' I continued, 'and he was the first wizard to be taught how to speak Parseltongue. It was considered by most a clear sign that he was starting to turn on the rest of the founders when they began to argue over who they admitted to the school.'

'Exactly,' said Ron. 'And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something …'

'But I'm not,' said Harry. He looked at us in a way that was asking us to tell him it wasn't true. 'I can't be …'

'You'll find that hard to prove,' said Hermione. 'He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we now, you could be.'

* * *

 **AN: another chapter of Chamber of Secrets done. I hope the subtle changes make a difference to the story, I personally liked the addition in this chapter of Jenna's hexing of Pansy Parkinson during the duelling club showing Jenna has no patience for those who bully her and doesn't care about whatever her heritage may be though at this point she is still relatively naive about what being a Black truly means for her (both in appearance as Blacks are known for their beauty and her personality)**


	12. Under Investigation

Chapter 11

Under Investigation

I lay awake that night, my mind buzzing. What had happened at the Duelling Club had spooked me, more so than it must have spooked Harry and the others. Having discovered by unintentionally revealing to the majority of the students that he was a Parselmouth, Harry had now placed himself as a clear candidate for the Heir of Slytherin. The only thing in my mind that made that seem very unlikely was his family history; I knew from Lupin and the photo I showed Harry last year of James with his Quidditch team that James was a Gryffindor, while his mother Lily had also been seen to be wearing the Gryffindor colours in the picture of her in Harry's photo album. Because of this, Harry, Ron and Hermione were even more desperate to finish the Polyjuice Potion to prove it was Malfoy. I, however, had a concern that the Heir might be a little more closer to home: me.

Even though I knew I hadn't done it, I couldn't help but worry that I was the one responsible for the attacks on Mrs Norris and Colin, that somehow I had done it without knowing I had. I had all the right traits. I could understand Parseltongue, the language of snakes that Salazar Slytherin could speak, although I had no idea whether or not I could actually speak it having never tried; I had connections to both victims, having a great dislike for Mrs Norris and I certainly found Colin irritating with his camera; and my family, generations of Blacks having been members of Slytherins up until me and my father. It all seemed to fit.

I rolled over in my bed. Both Harry and I could be the Heir of Slytherin. The question was: was it really one of us or was it just an unfortunate coincidence that both of us had attributes that pointed the finger our way? And if it was the latter, who really was behind these attacks?

Overnight a snowstorm had hit the castle covering it in a thick blanket of white, so much so that our final Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled as the door leading out to them had been blocked by several feet of snow. The Mandrakes we'd been tending to over the course of the term were now out of their toddler stage but due to the chill, Professor Sprout had informed us that she needed to fit scarves and socks on the plants in order to protect them against the cold weather, a difficult task she would entrust to no one else.

'After two attacks,' explained Professor Sprout, whose face was only just visible between a thick woollen scarf and her frizzy hair, 'it is now vital these Mandrakes we've been growing reach maturity so we can revive Mr Creevey and Mr Filch's cat. I cannot let them wither from the harsh weather and so I cannot risk unskilled hands breaking off their roots while trying to get a pair of gloves on a screaming child.'

Taking advantage of our free period, I returned to the Library to find that Transfiguration journal again to re-read what it said about Feramorphs while Harry, Ron and Hermione returned to the Tower to play Wizard's Chess. I found the book and went straight to the page that had the paragraph that referred to Feramorphs on it. My eyes scanned the text. It stated that when in animal form, a Feramorph had full understanding of the language of the animal it had transformed into, as well as the ability to converse as that animal; however, once the Feramorph had returned to its human form, it no longer could speak in animal tongues or communicate, instead only being able to feel empathy towards their emotions. This was why those who were Animagi could not speak animal tongues either.

'So I couldn't be the Heir,' I said to myself quietly. 'I can understand Parseltongue but I _can't_ speak it.' I thought for a moment. It still didn't explain though why I understood Harry when he spoke Parseltongue considering I hadn't been in animal form at the time. Maybe it had something to do with the fact Harry had been speaking it and not a snake.

'All I saw,' said a loud voice suddenly around the next bookcase, 'was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake towards Justin.'

I frowned; that had been Ernie's voice and by the sounds of it he was talking to Harry. Curious, I walked to the end of the aisle and looked round the bookcase. A group of Hufflepuffs in our year including Ernie, Hannah and Susan were all gathered round a table at the back of the Library. Ernie had a scowl on his round face as he stared at Harry, the others all watching him with a certain amount of suspicion on their faces.

'I didn't chase it at him!' Harry snapped. He was losing his temper. 'It didn't even _touch_ him!'

'It was a very near miss,' said Ernie. 'And in case you're getting ideas,' he then added, 'I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so –'

'I don't care what sort of blood you've got!' said Harry angrily. 'Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?'

'I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with,' countered Ernie.

'It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them,' said Harry. 'I'd like to see you try it.'

Thinking it would be best to end this argument before Madam Pince noticed, I stepped into view to separate them.

'Harry, I think it's time we leave,' I said. I grabbed Harry's arm and began to pull him towards the doors. 'Madam Pince is starting to get fidgety.'

I led Harry away from the table of Hufflepuffs and pulled him out of the Library. When the doors had closed behind us, Harry shrugged his arm free from my grip and strode off. I sighed then followed after him, shoving the book into my bag. He was muttering angrily to himself when I caught up to him. He had fallen over having run into Hagrid who was wrapped up in a snow-covered balaclava. In his hand hung what looked like a dead rooster.

'All righ', Harry?' said Hagrid, moving the balaclava to one side so he could speak. 'Hullo, Jenna. Why aren't yeh in class?'

'Cancelled,' said Harry, getting back to his feet. 'What're you doing in here?'

Hagrid held up the rooster.

'Second one killed this term,' grunted Hagrid. 'It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm round the hen-coop.'

'A Bugbear?' I questioned. I looked at the rooster. By the looks of it, its neck had been snapped. 'I thought Bugbears were hobgoblins that liked causing fear like Boggarts do. Why would they strangle a rooster?'

'No idea,' muttered Hagrid, 'probably fer a prank or somethin'. They don' need any encouragement ter cause trouble. Yeh sure yeh're all righ'?' Hagrid then asked, noticing Harry's frown. 'Yeh look all hot an' bothered.'

'It's nothing,' said Harry quickly. 'I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books.'

Hagrid nodded and carried on his way. Before Harry could walk off though, I stopped him.

'So what was all that about in the Library?' I asked.

'Ernie Macmillan thought I was looking for Justin so I could go and Petrify him,' said Harry tersely. 'All I did was point out that the snake backed off after I told it to. Then he accused me of chasing the snake towards Justin and started going on about how he was a pure-blood if I was getting any ideas of attacking him.'

'Well, snapping at him probably didn't help,' I said. Harry gave me a sharp look. Whenever in the past Harry felt like I was judging him, he would always put on this scowl to make me back down. It had never worked. 'Oh, don't even try that with me, Harry,' I said impatiently, 'you know that has no effect on me.' Knowing I was right, Harry rolled his eyes instead. 'Look, getting angry with everyone's not going to help your case about not being the Heir,' I continued. 'It just proves that anyone who crosses you could be your next target.'

'I'm not the Heir!' snapped Harry. He came to a stop and faced me. 'I didn't attack Mrs Norris or Colin!'

'I know you're not,' I said calmly. 'Trust me, I know you're not the Heir.'

Harry stared at me.

'How? How can you be so sure?'

'Because I know what you said to that snake that tried to attack Justin,' I said quietly. The irritated look on Harry's face immediately changed to one of confusion. I looked away. 'Because I heard that voice too.'

'So I'm not crazy,' said Harry slowly.

'Only if we both are,' I shrugged. We started walking again down the corridor.

'How long have you been able to hear it?' Harry asked. 'Why didn't you say anything about hearing what I said to the snake?'

'Because I didn't know what to say, nor did I know why I could understand you,' I shrugged. 'I'm not a Parselmouth, or at least I'm not to my knowledge but you know as well as I do that I don't know much about my family history. All I know is that when you were speaking it, it sounded scarily like the voice in the wall. It freaked me out. You weren't doing that when we were at primary school.'

Harry ran his hand through his hair and ruffled it.

'Tell me about it,' he sighed. 'Kind of wish I hadn't saved Justin.'

'You did the right thing, Harry,' I told him. 'It's just a pity that in doing the right thing it looked like you were doing a bad thing.'

'Yeah …' Harry muttered. 'I need to go back to the Tower to get my bag. I'll see you at Transfiguration.'

Harry walked off up the corridor. I sighed and shook my head. Of all the talents Harry could have, it had to be one that was associated with Dark wizards. Just because one Dark wizard could do it didn't mean all who were Parselmouths were bad. A part of me felt that I should have told him about my family being in Slytherin and the possibility it could be me, but having confirmed that I couldn't speak Parseltongue had made me think it was unlikely that I was the Heir.

Once Harry had disappeared round the corner I turned on my heel and headed in the opposite direction towards the Transfiguration Courtyard for our next lesson. I walked down the corridor towards the door that led outside and pushed it open.

 _Die … I want blood … they all must die … kill … kill … time to kill …_

I jumped. It was the voice again. That either meant someone was going to be attacked or someone had _just been_ attacked. A shiver went down my back. A look of horror then crossed my eyes. Harry was on his own! If he tried to follow the voice again and was caught – especially if there _has_ been another attack – he could get in serious trouble. Quickly I doubled back on myself to go and find him. It soon became clear though where he might be.

'ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!'

Peeves's shouts echoed through the corridor. I ran towards them, up the nearest staircase and down the next corridor. He went zooming past me, bouncing off the walls as he shouted. Several bangs sounded as doors were flung open in the next corridor. I pushed my way through the crowds that were now gathered so I could see what had happened. My eyes widened at the sight in front of me. I gasped.

Floating frozen in mid-air was Nearly-Headless Nick. He was no longer pearly-white but a translucent grey and there was smoke coming off him as if he'd been burnt. He didn't move and his head was lolled to one side, hanging on by the small amount of skin that still attached it to his neck, and there was a look of shock upon his face. Lying on the floor rigid and cold beneath Nick was Justin. His eyes stared blankly ahead of him and his arms were held up in position as if he'd tried to protect himself. That wasn't the worst of it though; to my dismay my eyes met Harry's, who was currently standing right between the two frozen figures.

' _Caught in the act!_ ' shouted Ernie's voice. He and the other Hufflepuffs were gathered in the crowd having left the Library for their next class.

'That will do, Macmillan!' snapped Professor McGonagall.

She pushed her way through the crowd, shooing people back into their classrooms. Peeves, who had floated back towards the chaos, was still gleefully shouting about the attack. Professor Vector and Professor Burbage were examining both Justin and Nick.

' _Oh Potter, you rotter, oh what have you done?  
_ _You're killing off students, you think it's good fun –_ '

'That's enough, Peeves!' barked Professor McGonagall. Peeves zoomed off with his tongue stuck out blowing a raspberry.

I watched silently as Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra carefully Levitated Justin's frozen form and led it away I assume to the Hospital Wing. Professor Vector and Professor Burbage meanwhile were attempting to get the last of their students back into their classrooms. Unsure what to do with a Petrified ghost, Professor McGonagall resorted to conjuring a large fan and giving it to Ernie. With a tap of her wand it switched on and she instructed Ernie to blow Nick up to the Hospital Wing as well. With the crowds dispersed and Nick and Justin moved, out of the corner of my eye I noticed something crawling across the floor. I looked down to see a line of spiders scurrying towards and up the wall, just like last time, and out of the glassless window on to the snow covered sill. Strange.

Professor McGonagall spotted me standing in the corner.

'Miss Black, what are you still waiting here for?' said Professor McGonagall sharply to me. I jumped, the spiders forgotten. 'I know for a fact that I have you for Transfiguration next so why you are still standing here instead of going back to class, I'd be interested to know.'

I looked at Harry; he was looking silently back at me, a look that said "I didn't do it" in his eyes. I hesitated.

'Professor, Harry didn't do it,' I braved saying. 'I was with him only a few minutes ago.'

'Be that as it may, Miss Black,' said Professor McGonagall, 'Potter was found alone with the victims. There is nothing more to be done. Now, I suggest you get to class otherwise Gryffindor will lose a point for you being late.'

I took the threat of losing House Points as a sign that the conversation was over. I looked back at Harry one last time then turned away to go back to the Transfiguration Courtyard. As I walked away, I slowed just enough so I could hear what was going to happen to Harry.

'This way, Potter.'

'Professor, I swear I didn't –'

'This is out of my hands, Potter.'

Their footsteps disappeared. Quickly I ran back to the Transfiguration Courtyard to Professor McGonagall's classroom. The rest of the Gryffindors, including Ron and Hermione, as well as the Ravenclaws whom we shared the class with were all waiting outside for Professor McGonagall to arrive. When they saw me, Ron and Hermione instantly knew something had happened when they saw Harry wasn't with me.

'Jenna, what's going on?' asked Ron. 'Where's Harry? I thought he went to the Library?'

'He did,' I said in a quick hushed voice. 'I saw him in there and had to step in before an argument between him and Ernie Macmillan and the other Hufflepuffs started. We separated though after we left the Library as he needed to get his books for class. Next moment –'

I fell silent when I saw Professor McGonagall appear in the Courtyard, striding up the corridor with a dark look on her face. I didn't need to finish my sentence; Ron and Hermione knew from Professor McGonagall's expression that another attack had happened and that Harry had been found at the scene of it. Without a word she swept into the classroom and the class filed inside. I took a seat with Hermione, Ron just on the next desk. While Professor McGonagall briefly had her back turned to make the chalk write something on the board, Ron leaned over to us.

'Who got attacked?' he whispered.

'Justin and Nearly Headless Nick.'

Hermione gasped, just covering her mouth in time to block the sound. Ron's mouth fell open.

'Oh, this isn't good,' breathed Hermione. 'This isn't good at all. Oh, we've got to get that potion finished. We've just go to.'

Harry didn't turn up to Transfiguration and when the three of us tried to ask Professor McGonagall what had happened to him, she refused to answer us and sent us away. We only found him when we went into the Great Hall for lunch and saw he was sitting on his own halfway down the table. The three of us joined him, immediately asking him what had happened when Professor McGonagall had led him away from where Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been attacked. He had been taken to Professor Dumbledore's office. Ron, Hermione and I shared a worried look. Harry, however, reassured us that Professor Dumbledore believed his innocence and was sent away without any reprimand. When we asked him why he didn't come to class after Professor Dumbledore had dismissed him, Harry hesitated.

'I went to the Hospital Wing,' he explained. 'I wanted to know if Justin and Nick were all right.'

'And were they?' asked Hermione worriedly.

'Justin's been Petrified, just like Colin and Mrs Norris,' said Harry. 'As for Nick, Madam Pomfrey said whatever had attacked them, it looked like he'd got the full blast of whatever it was.'

'But he's a ghost,' said Ron. 'Ghosts can't die again, can they?'

'I hope not,' I said. 'If whatever it is can kill a ghost, imagine what it can do to a person.'

That night at dinner, Professor McGonagall went round all the House tables a second time for any last minute sign ups for the Hogwarts Express back to London for the holidays. With the news of the attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick having now spread around the school since this morning, there was a sense of urgency among the students as they fought to get their names on the list. A panic had spread as the news that one of the school ghosts had been attacked and, like us, people questioned what could possibly have the power to harm someone who was already dead? Harry, Ron, Hermione and I, however, did not add our names to the list.

'At this rate, we'll be the only ones left,' said Ron quietly. 'Us, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be.'

'We're lucky Crabbe and Goyle are staying,' said Hermione, 'otherwise you two wouldn't have anyone to change into so we can interrogate him.'

'What about us?' I asked Hermione. 'Who are we going to change into? No one else in our year in Slytherin are staying for Christmas.'

'I have a feeling once she learns Malfoy's staying, Pansy Parkinson will too,' said Hermione, a frown on her face. 'You've seen what she's like around him. You'll be able to change into her,' I cringed at that, 'while I need to wait and see if Millicent is staying or not.'

We finished dinner and gathered our things to leave. We walked up the aisle past where Ginny, Fred, George and Percy were all eating dinner together. Fred and George must have noticed us walk past them as moments later we heard, 'Make way for the Heir of Slytherin!' and 'Seriously evil wizard coming through!' being shouted behind us. They had been doing that a lot recently whenever they had seen Harry around the castle or in the Tower going up to his dormitory, much to Percy's chagrin and Ginny's dismay.

'Will you both stop that!' snapped Percy's voice after them.

'But Harry needs to head to the Chamber to get his vocabulary book,' said Fred. 'Needs to brush up on his Parseltongue.'

'Least they find it funny,' muttered Harry.

'My Uncle always said laughter was the best cure for a bad situation,' I said. Harry and Ron looked at me strangely. 'Well, not all situations but this one it certainly works for.'

'Not everyone's laughing though,' said Ron. He nodded his head towards the Slytherin table. I looked over my shoulder to see Malfoy's scowling face aimed in our direction having heard Fred and George's shouts.

'I don't think I've ever seen him look so angry,' said Hermione quietly.

'It's because he's _bursting_ to say it's really him,' said Ron. 'You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work.'

'I wouldn't call it "credit", Ron,' I muttered, frowning.

'Not for long,' said Hermione. 'The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now.'

Finally the school term finished and not before time too. It was such a relief to finally have some peace and quiet without having people stare at us whenever we went somewhere with Harry. The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and I had the entire Gryffindor Tower to ourselves as everyone else had decided to go home for the holidays, whether or not they had originally planned to. The only reason Fred, George and Ginny were still here was because Mr and Mrs Weasley had apparently gone to Egypt to visited their older brother Bill who was working out there, while Percy had pompously declared he was staying to help the teachers during this troubled time as a Prefect should. Ron made a sceptical noise when Percy told us that.

The peaceful holidays didn't last long for me. While Owl Post always arrived at breakfast during term time, any mail the students received during the holidays was delivered as and when it arrived. I had been having lunch with Harry, Ron and Hermione down in the Great Hall when I heard a familiar hooting somewhere above us. I looked up to see Gizmo flying towards me with a letter clasped in his beak. I held up my arm for him to land. Gizmo fluttered down on to it and gave a sad hoot. I frowned, concerned by his attitude. I took the letter from him. Free from his delivery Gizmo hopped on to the table and began grabbing at my sausages. I cut off a chunk and gave it to him before opening my letter. My eyes scanned the familiar writing, a worried look crossing my eyes when I read what it said.

 _Dear Jenna,  
_ _I hope this letter reaches you in time. I know you planned to spend the holidays at school with  
_ _Harry and the others, however, it is vital that you come home as soon as possible. Please send  
_ _Gizmo back with your reply as soon as you get this letter and be ready for me to pick you up on  
_ _20 December after breakfast from Hogsmeade village. I have written to Professor Dumbledore  
_ _requesting that someone take you down to the village for me to collect you._

 _I'm afraid the reason for this is not good. The Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation  
_ _and Control of Magical Creatures got wind of the fact you are staying with me when I went for my  
_ _annual appointment at the Werewolf Registry and I have been placed under investigation as they  
_ _believe I'm a danger to you because of my condition. They have informed me that they'll be visiting  
_ _Moonlake on 23 December for an inspection. I need you home because they wish to speak to you  
_ _directly about living with me._

 _I'm sorry this letter doesn't have any good news but I promise you, I will_ not _let them take you  
_ _from me._

 _I'll see you on Sunday.  
_ _Remus_

'Everything all right, Jenna?' asked Harry. He must have seen my reaction to Lupin's letter.

'I – I have to go home,' I said. Harry, Ron and Hermione gaped at me.

'But the Potion's almost ready,' said Hermione.

'You can't back out now,' said Ron.

'I have no choice,' I snapped. 'Sorry, it's just,' I then said, thinking quickly to come up with an excuse, 'because I'm adopted through a Muggle orphanage, my Uncle's under investigation from the Ministry. They think I'm a Muggle-born and want to see if it's suitable for me to live with a wizard and not with a Muggle family with other Muggle-borns like they think I am. I need to go home tomorrow because they want to talk to me.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

'When's the investigation?' Hermione asked.

'Next week,' I said. 'But my Uncle wants me home so we can prepare for it.'

'That's understandable,' said Harry.

'Seems a bit odd though,' said Ron next. I glanced nervously at him. 'Surely the Ministry would know what blood status you are so why they would need to investigate your uncle when you're a half-blood doesn't make sense.'

I shrugged, 'I don't know. I was abandoned when I was a baby. Maybe that has something to do with the Ministry not knowing what blood status I am.'

I hoped that would put an end the conversation. I wasn't about to tell the three of them the real reason Lupin was under investigation, nor tell them that I actually lived with a werewolf. Considering the prejudice they got, I didn't want to see someone like Ron's reaction to it.

I said goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione the following morning when Professor McGonagall approached the Gryffindor table to take me down to Hogsmeade to meet Lupin. I followed silently behind her through the snow down to the village, my head full of thoughts about what the investigation involved and what in turn it could mean for me. I didn't want to be taken away from Lupin. I had lived with him for over a year now and nothing bad had happened because of him being a werewolf. Well, apart from when I first found out about it and almost got attacked by him. Other than that, it had never been a problem, mainly because I was always with him as an animal myself. As I thought through all this I slowly began to see exactly why Lupin was being investigated.

Lupin was waiting for me outside a pub called The Three Broomsticks. He exchanged a few words with Professor McGonagall, who wished us all the best before walking off to return to the school, before he turned to me. His face looked tired and he hadn't shaved for a few days by the looks of it, a thick beard on his face and his normally neat moustache now blended into it.

'Lupin, what's going on?' I asked. 'Why are they investigating us?'

'They aren't investigating you,' said Lupin heavily, 'they're investigating me.'

'But why?' I repeated. 'How do they even know about me?'

'I'll explain at home, Jenna,' said Lupin. 'Now hold tight. Apparating in the snow is a little trickier than in dry weather.'

I took Lupin's hand and gripped it tightly. I felt the familiar pull as he twisted on the spot and we Disapparated out of the Village.

Dinner was a sombre affair that night. After we left Hogsmeade Lupin took me straight to my Granddad's house so that he could speak to him. Granddad, while he was happy to see us, appeared to already be aware of the investigation as he ushered us quickly into his house and through to the kitchen to talk. I sat in silence as I watched the two older wizards discuss the impending meeting. While Lupin was unsettled by the situation, Granddad appeared remarkably calm considering his only granddaughter was at risk of being taken away.

'Remus, calm yourself,' said Granddad, handing him a cup of tea. 'You should have no reason to be so concerned. You've been a brilliant parent to Jenna this last year and have done a remarkable job providing her with a suitable home considering your circumstances. I see no reason why the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would have any reason to take her away.'

'Because of what I am,' said Lupin darkly. 'I am a constant danger to her. Even if we convince them that she's safe now, they'll claim it'll only be a matter of time before she gets attacked and bitten.'

'And we already know what will happen if she does,' said Granddad calmly. 'We know this from when you bit Tala. Like her, Jenna will be immune to the werewolf saliva.'

'Of which there lies another problem,' countered Lupin. 'I cannot reveal what Jenna is otherwise they'll want to conduct all kinds of tests and experiments on her. As much as she is protected from becoming a werewolf herself, she is not safe from the same prejudice for what she is, a half-breed in the eyes of the Ministry, nor is she safe from those who'll want to experiment on her as if she was some lab rat.'

I frowned as I listened to Lupin argue with his father. I know I was only twelve years old but I didn't appreciate being spoken about as if I wasn't there nor did I like what I was hearing, especially when Lupin referred to me being called a lab rat.

'Remus, there will be no reason to bring up Jenna's ability at all,' said Granddad firmly. 'When you look at the facts in front of you, the Ministry will not be able to accuse you of neglecting her or putting her in any danger.'

'The facts are that my condition mean that in the eyes of the Ministry, I am viewed with contempt and disdain and am not a suitable carer for a young witch like her. Wizards like me are considered violent and unstable and therefore don't deserve to be treated as equals. Because of this I have no job and no source of income to be able to provide for her.'

'For Merlin's sake, Remus, are you hearing what you're saying?' Granddad snapped. He was looking at his son with a look of sheer exasperation as if the topic of Lupin being a werewolf had been a tense subject for many conversations. 'You have been supported throughout your life by your mother and I and by your friends, giving you the best chance in life that we could provide for you,' said Granddad. 'You've seen the poverty some werewolves are forced to live in. The state of the place you were living in when I finally tracked you down after You-Know-Who's defeat was appalling. It's because of that help from your friends and family that you can now provide Jenna with the same opportunity to get the best chance in her life after what happened to her. You have provided her with a roof over her head in your childhood home – something I was more than happy to give to you when you found her if it meant both you and her had a roof over your heads as opposed to that rundown cottage I found you in – you have financial support for Jenna from Tala's estate and her father –'

'That was through Tala's forethought,' snapped Lupin. 'Jenna's father wouldn't have been responsible enough to set up a vault for her in Gringotts after she was born if it wasn't for Tala insisting it was done.'

'– and you are ensuring she is getting an education and abiding by the wizarding laws that keep us from the knowledge of the Muggles,' Granddad finished. At that moment, he looked at me. 'Remus, look at her. Does Jenna look unhappy to you?'

Lupin looked at me. His eyes appraised me before he finally relented, sighing in defeat. He pushed back his hair then ran his hand over his face.

'I just can't lose her again,' said Lupin tiredly. 'I fought for too long to find her. I promised Tala I would protect her from danger. But how can I protect her when _I'm_ the danger?'

'Because I'm not scared of you.'

Lupin and Granddad both looked at me. While Lupin seemed surprised that I had spoken having remained silent throughout their argument, my Granddad was smiling.

'There you are,' he said, a hint pride in his voice. 'If you need anymore proof that Jenna belongs with you, just ask her yourself.'

'Granddad's right, Lupin,' I said quietly. 'When I was at the orphanage, I had nothing. The other kids bullied me, I was in trouble every other week, and I was lonely. You've given me more than I could ever imagine. So what if you don't have a job or much gold? I have more than enough for the both of us.' Lupin tried to object but I wouldn't let him. I carried on. 'It's my gold. I can do what I like with it. I don't care that you're a werewolf. It's one night a month you become that, and like Granddad said, I'm protected because of what I am. The rest of the time, you're still my Uncle and that won't change. People shouldn't be judged because of something that can't be helped.'

Lupin looked at his father.

'It's like talking to Tala, isn't it?' he said quietly.

'She is very like her mother,' agreed Granddad.

It took a lot but after the reassurance from both Granddad and me, Lupin was finally put at ease about the investigation. Although I was worried about what the investigators would ask me, I couldn't let Lupin worry that I'd be taken away all because he was a werewolf, not when I didn't fear what he was. It saddened me that he didn't seem to have any confidence in his abilities as a parent when he had given me more than I'd ever wanted. I had a home, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, everything I needed. And most importantly, he gave me a family. If he hadn't of found me, I would still be on my own in the orphanage. If after all that Lupin couldn't see how good a parent he was, I don't know what more he could do.

It was very late by the time Lupin and Granddad finished talking. We had moved to the living room after finishing dinner where Lupin and Granddad started to formulate a plan on how to approach the investigation. I sat quietly and listened to what they said, nodding whenever something specifically referring to me was said, until tiredness overtook me and I curled up on the sofa with my head rested on the arm. I dozed there as I waited for them to finish and for Lupin to take me home. After what must have been another hour's discussion, I felt a hand on my shoulder and it was given a gentle shake. I opened my eyes to see Lupin kneeling in front of me.

'Come on, sleepyhead,' he said softly. 'Time we went home.'

'OK,' I said sleepily. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. 'Where's Granddad?'

'He's in the kitchen,' said Lupin. 'Be quick if you want to say goodbye.'

I nodded, got up off the sofa and walked into the kitchen. I wanted to say goodbye but there was something else on my mind that I wanted to ask Granddad. When I had realised we were visiting him, I saw an opportunity to maybe find out some more information about my father from him if I got the chance to speak to him alone. Lupin had said he had known my father at school so logically that must mean that my Granddad must have met him at some point. I hoped maybe he would finally tell me something more about him. Granddad was busily putting the dinner things away with his back to me when I entered.

'Granddad?' I started, getting his attention. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Of course,' replied Granddad. He flicked his wand. The cupboard closed and the drawers slammed shut. 'Is it about the investigation?'

'No.' I shook my head. 'I just … I wanted to ask you about my Dad. If you can tell me anything about him.'

A frown appeared on Granddad's face.

'It's not really my place to tell you about your father,' said Granddad slowly. 'It depends on what you want to know about him.'

'I just wanted to know if you knew him,' I explained. 'Lupin never talks about him and any time he's mentioned, Lupin always changes the subject.'

Granddad thought through my request then said, 'Your father was a good man and a close friend of Remus's when they were at school together. Things happened, however, during the First Wizarding War and since then Remus has been unable to forgive his former friend for what he's done.'

'What did he do?' I asked. Granddad shook his head.

'I'm afraid I cannot answer that,' he said. 'Remus requested that I don't talk about your father to you if you asked and I respect his decision. I don't believe admitting I knew him contradicts my promise.'

Though disappointed I nodded. I had one last question though.

'Can you tell me his name?'

'Again, I'm afraid I cannot say.'

It appeared Lupin had covered all bases in stopping me finding out who my father was. Seeing as I wasn't going to get my answers from Granddad, I thanked him for what he had told me then said goodbye. He gave me a hug, wished me a Happy Christmas, then watched as Lupin and I Disapparated out of the hall back to Moonlake.

The following few days before the investigation were tense. After speaking to his father, Lupin was now acting extremely calm about the whole situation. I had a feeling this was more for my benefit rather than him actually being calm when I could be taken from him in a matter of days. In the time we had Lupin and I cleaned the entire cottage and hid all my training equipment in the old barn that stood behind the house. Lupin assured me they were unlikely to want to examine the barn as it had been derelict since he left home all those years ago. With the house clean and in order, it was now just a matter of waiting for the day of the appointment to arrive.

At three o'clock on Wednesday the sound of three wizards Apparating into the garden alerted me to the arrival of the Ministry of Magic employees who were conducting the investigation. I left my room and waited at the top of the stairs where I could just see the front door. Lupin had answered it and was welcoming them into the house. I watched as they exchanged a few words before Lupin showed them into the living room. He then came back into the hallway and made to come upstairs when he noticed I was already waiting there. He nodded, indicating I needed to come down to speak to the investigators. I did as I was told and came downstairs. Giving me a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, Lupin ushered me into the living room where the three wizards were waiting for us. Each was wearing a set of burgundy robes with a silver badge pinned to their chests bearing the crest of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The words "Beast Division" were engraved beneath it.

'Amos, this is Jenna,' said Lupin, introducing me to who I assumed was in charge of the investigation. A man with a roundish ruddy face and scrubby brown beard stepped forwards from his colleagues. 'Jenna, this is Amos Diggory. He works for the Beast Division at the Department.'

'It's nice to meet you, Sir,' I said politely.

'It's a pleasure to meet you too, Jenna,' said Mr Diggory. 'I'd like to introduce you to some colleagues of mine. This is Felix Scamander and Edmund Farley who work with me at the Ministry.' Mr Diggory then turned to Lupin. 'I'm sorry to have to do this, Remus, but it's for her safety. You understand.'

'Yes, of course,' replied Lupin curtly. 'Please bear in mind though what I have already told you.'

'We know you have her best interests at heart,' said Mr Farley, rather dismissively. 'However, it is up to us to decide whether or not it is suitable for her to be in your care.'

'Jenna needs me, I'm all she's got,' retorted Lupin, a slight edge in his tone I hadn't heard before. 'She won't stand a chance if you take her away from me.'

'Mr Lupin, raising your voice is not going to help your case,' warned Mr Farley. Lupin frowned but fell silent nonetheless.

'Very well,' said Mr Diggory. 'Remus, if you'd kindly leave the room, my colleagues and I wish to speak to Jenna alone.'

I watched as Lupin left the room. Once the door had closed behind him, Mr Diggory gestured for me to take a seat while he conjured three chairs for him and his colleagues to sit on opposite me. The youngest of them, Mr Scamander, pulled from his pocket a notepad and quill that floated beside him and began taking notes for the investigation. I felt a sense of unease as the three wizards stared at me, worried about what they might ask me.

'For the record,' began Mr Scamander, 'can you please state your name?'

'Jennifer May Black,' I replied, doing as he instructed.

'And can you tell us how old you are?'

'I'm twelve years old.'

'And blood status?'

'I'm a half-blood.'

The moment I said I was a half-blood, Mr Farley's eyebrow arched in curiosity. I wasn't entirely sure what my blood status had to do with anything but it seemed to have piqued his interest.

'From our understanding,' said Mr Farley slowly, looking at some parchment notes he had in front of him, 'you were adopted by Mr Lupin from a Muggle orphanage. Is that correct?' His tone was sharp, almost accusative.

'Yes, I was,' I replied.

'May I ask then,' he continued, 'why a half-blood witch should be found in such a place?'

'I was accidentally abandoned when I was a baby,' I responded. 'My Mum died shortly after I was born and I don't know who my father is, only that he is from the Black family which makes me a half-blood. I was found by a Muggle couple and taken to the orphanage. I didn't know I was a witch until I was eleven and I received a visit from Professor Dumbledore about Hogwarts. Lupin was with them the day he came to see me.'

'Lupin?' repeated Mr Diggory. 'You don't call him Remus?'

I hesitated.

'No,' I said slowly. 'I never have.'

'May I ask why that is?' persisted Mr Diggory.

'I … well, it never felt right to do so,' I said. 'When I was at the orphanage, I was very badly behaved and so no one had ever wanted to adopt me. When he adopted me, I wanted to prove I could behave because I knew he'd seen my file with all my records in it so I always called him by his surname to be polite. It just sort of stuck over time. He doesn't mind.'

'So, it wasn't because you were scared of him when you found out he was a werewolf that you felt it necessary to call him by his surname rather than his given name?' asked Mr Scamander.

'No, not at all,' I replied.

The quill scratched away as it noted down all that was being said. Once it had caught up, Mr Farley continued with the questioning.

'Can you tell me about the day you found out about Mr Lupin's condition?'

'I had noticed Lupin getting ill a few weeks after he adopted me. On the night of the full moon, I had seen him standing in the garden as if he was waiting for something. I went downstairs to see if he was all right but when I tried to go outside, I found the front door was locked.'

I was aware that what I was telling the wizards wasn't entirely accurate, and that I hadn't been locked inside the house that night. But at Lupin's instruction, I couldn't reveal what I was and so I had to alter the events so as not to expose myself as well. I couldn't tell them I had confronted Lupin moments before he transformed and so had put my own life at risk.

'Mr Lupin had locked you inside?' asked Mr Diggory. 'I presume this was for your safety?'

'Yes,' I said, nodding. 'When I found the door locked, I came in here to see what was happening. The full moon came out and I saw him transform.'

'How did that make you feel?' asked Mr Scamander.

'At first, I felt scared,' I explained. 'I was still getting used to all the different things about the wizarding world having grown up with Muggles and so I didn't know that things like werewolves really existed. It scared me seeing Lupin transform like that. But after the initial shock, I realised it wasn't because of what he was. It was because I'd seen him in pain. I was scared of something happening to him.'

'Interesting,' mused Mr Diggory. He peered at me through his rounded glasses. 'You were eleven when this happened, weren't you?' I nodded. I watched as Mr Diggory then turned to his colleagues and muttered, 'Quite a curious reaction for such a young girl. Not to be scared of something that could potentially kill her.'

Mr Farley, however, didn't seem as convinced.

'Miss Black, do you know what a werewolf is?' he asked. I nodded. 'So you are aware that a werewolf has next to no knowledge of him or herself when transformed and is dangerous to any human – relative or otherwise – if in their presence.'

'Yes, Sir,' I replied.

'And are you aware that these wolfish tendencies eventually bleed into the afflicted's day to day life after years of transforming into the uncontrollable beast?' questioned Mr Farley. I hesitated. He must have seen this as he persisted almost ruthlessly. 'Miss Black, please answer the question. Are you aware that a werewolf's manner and aggression can eventually affect the human side of those who've been bitten?'

'No, I didn't know that,' I said reluctantly. 'But Lupin's never shouted at me, not even when I found out about his condition. He was more shocked at the fact I thought he was going to give me up.'

'A sensible choice had he made it,' said Mr Farley.

'Edmund,' interrupted Mr Scamander, 'you're not talking to a werewolf here. She's twelve years old. She's only in her second year of Hogwarts. She won't have even studied werewolves properly yet. You don't need to treat her like a criminal.'

'While I respect you and your father's authority on magical creatures, Felix,' retorted Mr Farley, 'it is I who has had the most direct experience in dealing with werewolves and need I remind you exactly how many have come through our doors when asked to register their condition and have reacted with violence.'

'That may be so, but please, show a little compassion to her,' said Mr Scamander. 'Mr Lupin is her closest blood relative and so would have been the first option for her legal guardian regardless of his condition if she had been at St Jerome's Home for Orphaned Magical Children.'

'Miss Black has several other relatives whom could have taken her as their charge,' said Mr Farley dismissively. 'The Black family has many relatives that are respectable families. There's a Mr and Mrs Tonks for a start who would have been much more suitable or even the Malfoys would have provided her with a home if obliged to do so. Now, if you are done with challenging my authority, Felix, may I proceed?'

Clearly perturbed by his response, Mr Scamander fell silent and gestured for him to continue.

'Miss Black,' resumed Mr Farley, his tone clipped, 'it is recorded that Mr Lupin received his bite when he was four years old and so has been suffering for lycanthropy for all of his adult life. Has Mr Lupin ever put your life in direct contact with something that could harm you or been careless in his dealing with his monthly transformations?'

'I've had to go to Azkaban a couple of times in the past because Lupin visits someone there,' I said, 'but Lupin's never –'

'A simple "yes" or "no" will do, Miss Black.'

'Well no but –'

'Has Mr Lupin ever displayed any signs of irrational anger, uncharacteristic behaviour or violence towards you for no reason?'

'Lupin's never done anything like that –' I said immediately, horrified by the accusation.

'Yes or no, Miss Black?' snapped Mr Farley. I jumped slightly at his tone.

'No,' I then said. 'No, he hasn't.'

'I think,' said Mr Diggory quickly before Mr Farley could ask me anything else, 'we have all the information we need.' He turned to me. 'Thank you for answering our questions, Jenna,' said Mr Diggory gently. 'We just need to have another word with your uncle and a look round the house and then we'll be off.'

I nodded. Mr Scamander took the quill and notepad and put it back inside the pocket of his robes. Next he, Mr Diggory and Mr Farley stood and left the room. I waited a minute or so before following. They had left the door slightly ajar allowing for me to hear them speak to Lupin who had been waiting in his office while they had questioned me. I listened as they asked him a few questions about his lifestyle, work and about our home before being led upstairs I assume to see my bedroom. A few minutes later they came back downstairs. While Mr Diggory seemed satisfied by what he had seen, Mr Farley looked distinctly angry about something.

'It appears you have provided Jenna with a loving home,' Mr Diggory was saying. 'You say she sees her grandfather regularly?'

'Every holiday when he's available,' replied Lupin. 'He's retired and likes to travel around in his free time.'

'Yes, Lyall always did like visiting other countries to see the wildlife,' said Mr Diggory. 'He was very respected at the Ministry for his knowledge on creatures. It was a shame when he left the department last year. He was a great mentor to me. On that note, I believe we've taken up enough of your time. We'll let you know the results of the investigation after the Christmas period.'

'I'm still not convinced, Amos,' interrupted Mr Farley. 'The girl clearly has no idea how much danger she's in being under Mr Lupin's care nor is there adequate protection set up for the transformations. I saw no evidence of any cages or enclosures that would restrain the werewolf and keep it from attacking her.'

'Edmund, the investigation is over,' said Mr Diggory curtly. 'We shall discuss it in our review where you'll be free to voice your opinions without the risk of offending anyone. We'll see ourselves out, Remus. Have a good Christmas.'

Lupin opened the door for them. The three wizards stepped outside and with a sharp _crack_ they were gone. It was over for now.

'How was it?' asked Lupin once they had gone. 'They didn't impose on you, did they?'

'It was horrible,' I said quietly. 'Mr Farley seemed very against the idea of me staying here. He said even the Malfoys would be a better choice to look after me than you. I see what you mean when you said werewolves get a lot of prejudice against them.'

'It's not uncommon, Jenna,' sighed Lupin. We went into the kitchen where Lupin fixed me a drink to help calm me down. He must have seen how shaken I was by the questioning. 'Unfortunately werewolves don't have a good reputation in the wizarding world. People think we're mindless violent creatures that deserve nothing more than to either be locked up or slaughtered.' I gasped. That was horrible! 'But for every wizard, like myself, who chooses to live with the condition and the prejudice it brings, there are those who choose to react to it. A man named Fenrir Greyback shamelessly promotes the fact he's a werewolf. He's been one for so long his wolfish side began to merge with his human side, making him look more wolf-like even when it wasn't the full moon. Most attacks these days can somehow be linked back to him.'

'Is … is he the man who bit you?' I asked nervously. Lupin visibly flinched.

'Yes,' he admitted. 'He bit me when I was a boy. Your grandfather, who once shared the same views as other wizards on werewolves, angered Greyback and so in retaliation for his prejudice he bit me so he would always have to live with a son who embodied all that he loathed. He never forgave himself for what happened to me. Greyback's actions almost ruined my life as a boy but thanks to Professor Dumbledore and my friends and family, I was spared the dismal life that a lot of werewolves are forced to suffer.'

Lupin drained the last of his tea from his mug then got up to put it in the sink. He stopped though when he felt my arms wrap around his waist from behind. Lupin turned to see me hugging him, my face buried into his robes. They smelt of wood, like the forest near to our home. Lupin smiled, his hand stroking my hair.

'I don't want to be taken away,' I mumbled into his robes. 'I don't want to lose you.'

'You won't be. I promise.'

Despite it being Christmas Eve the next day, Lupin took me back to Hogwarts the day after the investigation on my request. I knew the others must have finished the Polyjuice Potion by now and so if I had any chance of helping them find out if Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin I had to get back to school as soon as possible. I could tell Lupin was disappointed I didn't want to spend Christmas with him after being brought home but he respected my choice. Seeing his reaction, I compromised by spending the day with him at Moonlake before he Apparated me back to Hogwarts late Thursday evening. Having eaten at home, I wasn't worried that I had probably missed dinner.

When I reached the Great Hall I saw that Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't there. The Hall was beginning to empty as the students returned to their common rooms with their stomachs full of food. It looked like they had already had their dinner and gone. On the far side of the room I saw Malfoy standing up at the Slytherin table glaring down at Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were still stuffing their faces with what remained of pudding. Seeing Malfoy turn to leave, I quickly shouldered my bag and headed up the Marble Staircase. Instead of going to the Gryffindor Tower though, I went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. If my assumptions were correct, if Harry, Ron and Hermione were likely to be anywhere, they'd be in the bathroom waiting for Hermione to tell them the potion was ready for them to use. While I had no one to transform into though, it didn't mean I couldn't wait in the bathroom until they returned from interrogating Malfoy.

I checked that no one was around before knocking on the door to Myrtle's bathroom. A few moments later a shiny-faced Hermione unlocked it, surprised to see me standing there. I walked inside, Hermione locking the door behind me. A thick black smoke was coming from the cauldron sat in the middle of the floor making it look like the potion was burning but was merely an indication that it was ready. When I asked where Harry and Ron were, Hermione explained they were waiting for Crabbe and Goyle with some cakes filled with a Sleeping Draught so that they could knock them out. They needed some of their hairs to be able to transform into them while the real Crabbe and Goyle were to be fast asleep in a broom cupboard none the wiser. Beside the cauldron sat three sets of Slytherin robes Hermione had snuck from the laundry. Not knowing if I'd be back in time, she hadn't gotten me any or got me some of Pansy's hair so I could change into her. Having seen what the finished Polyjuice Potion looked like, I was pretty relieved that I wouldn't have to drink any of it.

The boys arrived shortly after I did. When he saw me, Harry asked me how the investigation had gone but I brushed it off by saying that I'd tell them later about it as we had to act quickly now the Polyjuice Potion was ready. With the hairs from Crabbe and Goyle in their hands, Hermione poured out three ladlefuls of potion into three separate glasses. The potion seemed almost tarlike in thickness and was an awful dark brown colour. It slid in large blobs into the glass. I wrinkled my nose at the sight.

'Now what?' whispered Ron.

'We've separated it into three glasses so we add the hairs.'

Hermione handed Harry and Ron a glass each. They put the hairs they had into their glasses while Hermione tipped the ones she had out of their test tube into her own. The potion hissed and bubbled as the hairs seemed to melt into it. Each changed in colour: Hermione's turned a sickly yellow, Harry's changing to a dark green and Ron's a murky brown.

'Hang on,' said Harry. 'We'd better not all drink them out here: once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit our robes so we'll have to change before we drink it. We better go into the cubicles.'

'Good thinking,' said Ron. He picked up a set of the Slytherin robes and went over to a cubicle. 'We'll take separate cubicles. Crabbe and Goyle won't fit in one together and Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie.'

I took a seat on top of one of the sinks as the other three went into the cubicles. There was a few minutes rustling as they each changed out of their clothes into the Slytherin robes.

'Ready?' called Harry.

'Ready,' came Ron and Hermione's response.

I waited in silence as Harry, Ron and Hermione drank the potion. I heard them gag as they did so but no other sounds came from them as I assumed they transformed. I began to wonder if the potion had even worked. Moments later, however, a voice came the middle cubicle Harry had been in, only it wasn't Harry's voice that spoke.

'Are you two OK?' said the unfamiliar tone I guessed to belong to Gregory Goyle having never actually heard him speak before.

'Yeah,' came a second grunt from the cubicle to the left, this time in Vincent Crabbe's low tones.

The middle cubicle door opened. From inside stepped Harry now fully transformed into Goyle and wearing his Slytherin robes and shoes. I was amazed by how accurate the potion was. Looking at him I wouldn't have even known it wasn't the real Goyle. Harry slowly lumbered over to where I sat on the sinks to look in the mirror, clearly thrown by Goyle's massive frame compared to his own smaller one. Next out came Ron now disguised as Crabbe. I almost laughed when I saw Ron already had the same dumbfounded look on his face that Crabbe always seemed to have in class. He joined Harry by the mirror. Both of them were staring in awe at their appearances.

'This is unbelievable,' said Ron. He prodded Crabbe's squished nose. ' _Unbelievable_.'

'It is very convincing,' I said. 'I wouldn't be able to know it wasn't the real them if I ran into you. Unless you said something intelligent.'

'We'd better get going,' said Harry, loosening his watch so it didn't cut into his thickened wrist. 'We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is, I only hope we can find someone to follow …'

'You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle _thinking_ ,' said Ron, staring at Harry. He then banged on Hermione's cubicle door. 'C'mon, we need to go …'

'I – I don't think I'm going to come after all,' replied a high-pitched voice. I was taken aback slightly how high Millicent Bulstrode's voice was considering her size. 'You go on without me.'

'Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you,' said Ron impatiently.

'No – really – I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time.'

Harry, Ron and I shared a confused look.

'That's more like Goyle,' said Ron. 'That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question.'

'Hermione, are you OK?' Harry asked her through the door.

'Fine – I'm fine … Go on –'

'We'll meet you back here, all right?' Harry then turned to me and added, 'Make sure she's all right?'

'Of course,' I replied. 'Now get a move on. We've only got one shot at this so you better hurry.'

Harry and Ron nodded and left the bathroom. It was like watching baby animals learning to walk the way they stumbled in Crabbe and Goyle's bodies. Once they were gone, I slid off the sink and approached Hermione's cubicle door. It seemed odd how reluctant she seemed to come out of it after transforming into Millicent. I knocked on the door. Perhaps now the boys were gone she might tell me what had happened.

'Hermione, are you all right?' I said through it. 'Has something happened?'

Hermione didn't respond. From the end cubicle Moaning Myrtle poked her head through the door then floated over to me. She flew up high enough to see into Hermione's cubicle. She let out a nasty cackle at whatever she had seen. I frowned at her reaction and took out my wand. I tapped the lock and said the spell to unlock it. I pushed open the door revealing Hermione behind it. What I saw made my eyes widen and I gasped in shock. Emerging from beneath her bushy hair was a pair of very obvious ears; as she turned round to face me, I saw she was completely covered in thick brown fur while her brown eyes had been changed into bright yellow orbs; a tail was swaying behind her coming out from underneath the robes she was wearing.

'Do you remember reading that the Polyjuice Potion was only for human transformations?' Hermione asked me. I nodded. Above us, Myrtle snickered. Hermione let out a sob and slammed the door shut again. I glared up at Myrtle but she merely continued to laugh.

Hermione remained locked in the toilet cubicle for the next hour. Seeing I wasn't going to get her to come out anytime soon, I sat down to wait for the boys to return, hoping that the effects of the potion might wear off Hermione after an hour like they would do on Harry and Ron. I could hear Hermione quietly sobbing as I waited. Somehow I didn't have high hopes that it would.

'Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time,' I looked up when I heard Ron's voice – his own voice – speaking as the door to Myrtle's bathroom opened. 'I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room.'

They were checking their appearances in the mirror now they'd changed back. Harry put back on his glasses. I got up and walked over to them.

'You still don't know who the Heir is?' I asked.

'No,' replied Harry, 'All he said was that the Chamber had been opened fifty years ago and that a Muggle-born died. He doesn't know who it is.'

'So we're no closer to knowing who it is than we were before the holiday,' I said dismally. Over by the cubicles Ron was hammering on Hermione's door.

'Hermione, come out,' he shouted, 'we've got loads to tell you –'

'Go away!' squeaked Hermione's voice. Harry and Ron looked at me confused.

'What's the matter?' Ron then asked. 'You must be back to normal by now, we are.'

'Ron,' I said slowly, 'I'd be careful what you say.'

Ron's look of confusion deepened. From the next cubicle Moaning Myrtle glided through the door still with the smirk from earlier on her face.

'Ooooooh, wait till you see,' she cackled. 'It's _awful_.'

Myrtle floated back from the door. Harry and I walked over to it and stood next to Ron as the door's lock clicked open. Finally Hermione came out but she had her robes up over her head to hide her face.

'What's up?' said Ron uncertainly. 'Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?'

'Not exactly,' I said.

Hermione pulled back the robes. Ron and Harry both stepped back in shock when she revealed her feline face and yellow eyes, her ears flattened back against her hair like a cat's would do when they were scared. Her tail was still poking out from under her robes.

'It was a c-cat hair!' she wailed suddenly. 'M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!'

'Uh oh,' said Ron.

'You'll be teased something _dreadful_ ,' laughed Myrtle gleefully.

'Oh, go float down a drain,' I snapped at her. Myrtle sneered at me then swooped off to her toilet.

'It's OK, Hermione,' said Harry next. 'We'll take you up to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions.'

'Maybe leave the animal transformations to the professionals next time,' I said lightly.

I coaxed Hermione out of the cubicle and put my jacket over her head to hide her ears then made sure her tail was tucked in under her robes. While I took the lead, Harry and Ron covered the back and the three of us snuck Hermione through the castle to the Hospital Wing. As we left the toilet Myrtle did have a final parting shot.

'Wait till everyone finds out you've got a _tail_!'

I suddenly had a clear understanding of why Myrtle had been bullied while she was at school. She was pretty spiteful herself if she put her mind to it.

Hermione remained in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the holidays and for the beginning few weeks of the following term. Madam Pomfrey's face had been quite a picture when we presented the feline Hermione to her but soon enough had her shut off from the rest of the Hospital Wing in a bed at the far end of the room with curtains set up around it. When term restarted and the students returned, her disappearance soon spread around the Gryffindors thanks to Parvati and Lavender and soon enough most of the school was aware that another Muggle-born had been hospitalised but didn't know why. Whenever we visited her there was always one or two students trying to catch a glimpse of her through the Hospital Wing door but Madam Pomfrey's curtains did their job in preventing anyone from seeing her furry face, sparing Hermione anymore embarrassment.

Despite her half feline form, Hermione was relatively cheerful once she was hidden away in the Hospital Wing. She was disappointed when Harry and Ron told us what they'd found out from Malfoy and that we still didn't know who the Heir was but other than that, she was still herself. She even insisted that we brought her each day's homework so that she could work on it while she waited for the fur and ears to recede and her eyes to return to their natural brown.

'If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work,' said Ron on Friday evening. He tipped out Hermione's books on to her bed including today's list of homework I'd written down for her.

'Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up,' said Hermione dismissively. She was very cheerful having finally shed the last of her fur. Her eyes still had visible slits for pupils though. 'I don't suppose you've got any new leads?' she then added in a whisper.

'Nothing,' said Harry.

'We've gone through as many history books we could think of detailing events from fifty years ago involving the school but nothing about the Chamber is listed,' I explained.

'I was so _sure_ it was Malfoy,' fumed Ron. 'He said himself he would help them.'

'Well he isn't,' I said shortly. 'Malfoy probably would be too scared to even face whatever Slytherin's monster is, judging by how cowardly he was last year during our detention in the Forest.'

'What's that?' Harry then said. I looked where he was pointing. Something gold was sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

'Just a Get Well card,' said Hermione quickly. She made to push it further under the pillow but Ron had already snatched it from her reach.

'" _To Miss Granger_ ",' he read aloud, '" _wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of_ Witch Weekly's _Most-Charming-Smile Award._ '

'Really needs to boast about his achievements, doesn't he?' I muttered to Harry. He nodded in agreement. Ron gave Hermione a disgusted look.

'You sleep with this under your _pillow_?'

Hermione was spared admitting to this when Madam Pomfrey appeared right at that moment to give Hermione her evening medicine. She shooed us away telling us Hermione needed her rest and so we had no choice but to leave and return to the Gryffindor Tower.

'Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?' Ron said to us as we left the Hospital Wing. 'I mean, seriously. He brags about all his accomplishments whenever he has the slightest opportunity to do so.'

We walked through the corridors that lead us back to the Changing Staircases. About halfway there Ron suddenly moaned that he'd forgotten to ask Hermione about Hair-Raising Potions when I pointed out that might not have been the wisest thing to ask her considering what she just had to endure.

' _Bloody mess!_ ' suddenly shouted a voice somewhere above us. Harry, Ron and I stopped to listen. ' _Water everywhere!_ '

'That's Filch,' said Harry.

'Wonder what he's shouting about?' I wondered. 'Something about water again.'

'You don't think someone else's been attacked?' Ron suddenly asked. We shared a concerned look. Neither Harry nor I had heard the voice in the walls. It couldn't have been another attack, could it?

'… _even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to see Dumbledore_ …'

Filch's shouts faded away as did his footsteps. A door slammed indicating he had left wherever he'd been. Quickly Harry, Ron and I found the nearest staircase and ran up it. We then doubled back to where we'd heard Filch's voice coming from to find ourselves once again in the corridor where Mrs Norris had been attacked and outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Filch must have been guarding his usual post. It didn't take us long to find out what he'd been shouting about. Just like on Hallowe'en the entire floor was covered in a flood of water that was still streaming from underneath Moaning Myrtle's bathroom door. You could just hear the taps running through her wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

' _Now_ what's up with her?' moaned Ron.

'Let's go and see,' said Harry.

Harry and Ron pulled up their trouser legs and trudged carefully through the deep puddles of water. At least wearing a skirt meant I didn't have to worry about it getting wet. I still had to go on my tiptoes to stop my socks getting soaked though. Ignoring the 'Out of Order' sign like we always did, Harry pushed open the door. The taps on every sink apart from one in the middle of the column was running, water overflowing the sinks and pouring straight on to the stone floor. All the candles had been extinguished and so the room was darker than usual. Cautiously Harry, Ron and I approached Myrtle's cubicle. From the sounds of it, Myrtle was deep inside the U-bend, judging by the gurgling of her cries.

'What's up, Myrtle?' asked Harry.

'Who's that?' gurgled Myrtle's voice. 'Come to throw something else at me?'

'Why would I throw something at you?' asked Harry.

'Don't ask me,' snapped Myrtle. She shot out of the toilet, spraying more water over the already drenched floor. 'Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me …'

'But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you,' reasoned Harry. 'I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?'

Harry instantly seemed to know he'd said the wrong thing. I braced myself for the inevitable outburst Myrtle was about to have. She certainly didn't fail to live up to her name.

' _Oh, sure!_ ' Myrtle shrieked, swooping right up in front of us so she was eye-to-eye with Harry. 'Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because _she_ can't feel it! Ten points if it goes through her stomach!' The three of us jumped as Myrtle punched Harry, her hand passing straight through his abdomen. 'Fifty points if it goes through her head!' And she punched his head as well. 'Well, ha ha ha!' she laughed sarcastically. 'What a lovely game, I _don't_ think!'

'Who threw it at you, anyway?' said Harry, looking slightly flushed having just been punched twice by a ghost.

' _I_ don't know …' said Myrtle, a lot calmer this time. 'I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death,' Myrtle let out a sigh – was this a constant topic of thought for her or something? – 'and it fell right through the top of my head. It's over there, it got washed out.'

Myrtle pointed over to the sinks then floated off back to the large circular windowsill above us to continue crying. Beneath the one facing the cubicles was a thin black book. Its cover was made of what looked like leather but it had become shabby over the years. It was soaked like everything else, lying in the water. Harry walked over to the sinks and bent to pick it up when Ron suddenly flung his arm out to stop him.

'What?' said Harry confused.

'Are you mad?' said Ron. 'It could be dangerous.'

' _Dangerous?_ ' laughed Harry. 'Come off it, how could it be dangerous?'

'You'd be surprised,' said Ron, deadly serious. 'Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated – Dad's told me – there was one that burned your eyes out. And everyone who reads _Sonnets of a Sorcerer_ spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could _never stop reading_! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And –'

'All right, I've got the point,' said Harry.

I looked down at the book.

'It doesn't look dangerous,' I said. 'Just looks like an old notebook or something.'

'Well, we won't find out unless we look at it,' said Harry.

Harry picked up the book. I peered over his shoulder at it. It was very thin book, clearly not a storybook or anything like that. There was some vague gold lettering on the cover that had become worn over time. Harry flicked open the cover to the first page. In the top left-hand corner was name written in smudged black ink.

'It looks like a diary,' said Harry.

'"T. M. Riddle",' I read. 'Who d'you suppose that is?'

'Hang on,' said Ron. 'I know that name … T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago.'

'How on earth d'you know that?' asked Harry.

'Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention,' grumbled Ron. 'That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped the slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too.'

'Did it say what he got the award for?' I asked Ron. He shook his head.

Harry peeled apart the wet pages. There was nothing written in the diary. It was blank.

'He never wrote in it,' said Harry, disappointed.

'I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?' mused Ron.

'He must've been Muggle-born,' Harry then said, pointing to the back cover where the name of newsagents in Vauxhall Road, London, had been inscribed, 'to have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road …'

'Well, it's not much use to you,' said Ron. He then dropped his voice. 'Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose.'

I frowned. As there was nothing more to find here, the three of us left the bathroom. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry slip the diary into his pocket. Though curious as to what he planned to do with it, I didn't say anything.

* * *

 **AN: a new chapter in Chamber of Secrets now that focuses in on all the investigations, this time now including the investigation Jenna and Lupin have to endure because of her being in the care of a werewolf. hopefully I have characterised Lupin's feelings about it well and shown just how bad the prejudice against werewolves it can be. It also meant, having done a bit more research, I was able to introduce Amos Diggory (Cedric's father) and took the opportunity to also introduce Felix, the son of Newt Scamander and father of Luna's future husband, Rolf. I thought he'd be a nice addition to the story as maybe another contact for Jenna to possibly to use in the future or just as another level to the story itself.**


	13. Into the Chamber

Chapter 12

Into the Chamber

January gradually melted into February as the snow finally began to melt outside around the castle. To our relief Hermione was finally released from the Hospital Wing fully de-furred, de-whiskered and de-tailed within the first week. She reappeared on Wednesday evening in the Gryffindor Tower and looked thoroughly glad to be back with us in our favourite corner in the common room. Personally I had never seen what was so bad about having a tail, but I didn't voice this considering the others were still unaware of my ability to transform into animals. I think Hermione was just glad to be rid of the fur more than anything.

'So did anything happen while I was in the Hospital Wing?' Hermione promptly asked us without fail. I smirked slightly; Hermione was certainly back to normal. 'I heard Moaning Myrtle flooded her bathroom again?'

'Yeah, she did a real number this time,' I said. 'She wouldn't let anyone in there to turn the taps off so Filch was mopping up the water all evening.'

'We did find this though,' said Harry. He picked up his bag and pulled from it Tom Riddle's diary. 'Someone had tried to dispose of it in the toilet. They'd thrown it into Myrtle's toilet and it had fallen through Myrtle's head when she was in the U-bend.'

'Oooh, it might have hidden powers,' said Hermione enthusiastically. She took it from Harry and began examining it.

'I doubt it,' I said. 'Harry said it's from a Muggle shop.'

'If it has, it's hiding them very well,' said Ron, frowning. 'Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry.'

'I wish I knew why someone _did_ try to chuck it,' said Harry. 'I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either.'

'We looked in the records of school awards,' I added, 'but there was nothing listed about what he had done.'

'Could've been anything,' said Ron. 'Maybe he got thirty O. or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favour.'

Hermione and I frowned. I somehow had the feeling that it wasn't for the same reason though. Harry too was looking quite pensive.

'What?' asked Ron, looking between us.

'Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?' said Harry slowly. 'That's what Malfoy said.'

'Yeah …' said Ron, not understanding him.

'And _this diary_ is fifty years old,' said Hermione.

'So?'

'Merlin,' I sighed, 'do you need us to spell it out for you?'

'Oh, Ron, wake up,' snapped Hermione impatiently. 'We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled _fifty years ago_. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school _fifty years ago_. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for _catching the Heir of Slytherin_? His diary would probably tell us everything: where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it. The person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?'

'That's a _brilliant_ theory, Hermione,' said Ron, 'with just one tiny little flaw. _There's nothing written in his diary_.'

Hermione grabbed her wand out of her bag.

'It might be invisible ink!' she whispered, excitement in her voice. She tapped the diary with the tip of her wand three times and said, ' _Aparecium!_ ' Nothing happened and the pages remained blank. Unperturbed, Hermione dove back into her bag and pulled out a Revealer, a bright red eraser. She rubbed it hard on the first page of the diary but still no words appeared on the page.

'I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there,' said Ron. 'Riddle just got the diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in.'

Hermione's face fell evidently disappointed that the diary was nothing more than just that – a diary. Nonetheless, Harry wanted to keep it just in case. I picked it up to hand it back to him so he could put it back in his bag. Suddenly I felt a weird pain go straight through me when my fingers touched the diary.

 _A long stone Chamber … a large statue at the far end emerging from a pool of water … the mouth opening …_

As soon as the image had appeared, it had gone again. I blinked, unsure at what had just happened or what I'd just seen cross over my eyes.

'You OK, Jenna?' I blinked again, having not realised I'd frozen while handing the diary to Harry. He was giving me a strange look.

'Yeah, fine,' I shrugged. I gave the diary to him. Harry put it back in his bag. 'Just thought I'd felt a ghost pass through me or something. They can go invisible after all.'

'Maybe it was Myrtle,' sniggered Ron, 'wanting to get back at you for telling her to go float down a drain.'

'You're one to talk,' I muttered, pulling my Charms homework out to make a start on it.

The following day Harry, Ron, Hermione and I took a trip to the Trophy Room during break to have a look at Tom Riddle's award. Ron wasn't too keen on the idea having seen enough of the Trophy Room this year to last him a lifetime. Hermione, however, was very interested in seeing what exactly his trophy was despite us telling her it didn't state what it was for.

The Trophy Room was a long rectangular room on the third floor. The last time I'd been in there was during our first year when Malfoy had tricked Harry, Ron and me into going there for a duel which was merely a plan of his to try and get us expelled for being out of bed after curfew. The walls of the room were lined with shelves and display cases each bursting full of various kinds of trophies, cups and plaques of various colours. We walked down the aisle looking at all the different awards. Tom Riddle's trophy was found in a cabinet at the far end of the room. It was a small gold shield mounted on to a wooden back with black lettering engraved into the polished metal.

AWARDED TO  
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE  
FOR SERVICES TO THE SCHOOL

I frowned as I looked at the trophy. There was something about his name that I didn't like. I just couldn't put my finger on it. In the next cabinet along Ron pointed out a second award Riddle had received. It was a Medal for Magical Merit, which I guess meant he'd performed some extraordinary magic to be awarded it. The only other thing we found was on a large wooden board that listed all the names of the Head Boys and Girls of the school, Riddle's name listed beside the year 1945 when he must have finished Hogwarts.

'He sounds like Percy,' sneered Ron. 'Prefect, Head Boy – probably top of every class.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing,' said Hermione, the hurt evident in her voice.

Finally the sun returned to Hogwarts, a dull glowing orb hidden behind the light grey clouds but still enough to melt away any remaining snow in the castle grounds. The change in weather brought with it a change in atmosphere around the castle. There had been no more attacks on the students since the morning Justin and Nearly Headless Nick were found Petrified and so the students gradually began to forget about the threat of the Heir of Slytherin. Madam Pomfrey also announced one morning at breakfast that the Mandrakes were maturing at a good rate and becoming moody and secretive that indicated they were through their childhood phase.

'The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for re-potting again,' we overheard her telling Filch on our way to class one afternoon. 'And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs Norris back in no time.'

'That's just what we need,' said Ron darkly as we turned into the next corridor. 'That mangy furball prowling around the castle again.'

Despite the calmer attitudes of the students after the Christmas break, it was clear that the teachers were still on alert for anything that could lead to another attack. There were some, like Ernie, who still weren't convinced that the Heir of Slytherin had given up his rampage against Muggle-borns and that Harry was still responsible somehow for the attacks, but for the most part it appeared that people had given up trying to avoid him in the corridors or give him scared looks whenever he walked by. Of course, with Peeves still singing "Potter, You Rotter" in the corridors along with its new dance, it was hard to fully forget about Harry's potential of being the Heir.

Lockhart, who must have gotten bored with the lack of attention he was receiving in amongst all the attacks, took the opportunity to boast about how it must have been him who had made them stop. He could be seen telling anyone who'd listen to him about how he was sure that the Heir must've given up and that there wouldn't be anymore attacks in the foreseeable future with him still present in the castle.

'I don't think there'll be anymore trouble, Minerva,' he told Professor McGonagall outside our Transfiguration lesson. He tapped his nose in a knowing sort of way. 'I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught them. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on them.'

'The only think he'd come down hard on is a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion,' I whispered to Harry and Ron. We had to put our hands over our mouths to muffle our sniggers while Hermione sent us disapproving looks.

'You know,' Lockhart then said loudly, 'what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say anymore just now, but I think I know just the thing …'

He tapped his nose again then swept off down the corridor. With a very obvious roll of her eyes, Professor McGonagall let us into her classroom finally to start the lesson.

Lockhart's idea of a "morale-booster" became clear the following Monday. I had gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Ron and Hermione, as Harry was still asleep when we'd got up due to a late Quidditch practice the previous night, to be greeted by what could only be described as the most garish thing I'd seen in my entire life. I couldn't help my mouth falling open the moment we walked into the Hall and I suddenly remembered exactly what day it was: February fourteenth, in other words, Valentine's Day.

The Great Hall had been completely transformed overnight in a way similar to how it was for Christmas and Hallowe'en, only this time it was much, much worse. Every inch of the walls were now covered in these large, lurid pink flowers with massive blossoms that draped precariously over one another and looked like would they would fall on you if hit by the slightest breeze; instead of the snow or rain that normally fell to reflect the weather, heart-shaped confetti was raining down from the pale blue ceiling upon the House tables, littering everything with little pink and red hearts that were getting in the jugs of milk and pumpkin juice, and the candles had been removed I assumed so they didn't catch on fire; and to my horror, tiny little cupids were adorning each of the torch brackets, their arrows pointed dangerously at the unsuspecting students nearest to them.

'Oh Merlin,' I breathed. Beside me, Ron looked equally as horrified. Hermione, however, seemed to have become suddenly very giggly.

'Oh, Jenna, it's just a few decorations,' she said, brushing off my disgust. We took a seat at the Gryffindor table where I had to brush a pile of the confetti off my plate so I could get some breakfast. 'I think it looks lovely.'

Ron and I shared a look; it didn't look lovely, it looked sickly.

Shortly after we arrived, Harry did so to. His face was priceless when he saw all the decorations and came over to join us.

'What's going on?' he asked.

Ron pointed at the teacher's table. He hadn't been able to say a word since we'd got here. Sat at the table in a set of bright pink robes that matched the decorations, Lockhart was beaming at the students as he waved for silence. I glanced at the other teachers. All of them looked rather stony faced. Professor McGonagall's lips were pursed together very tightly while Snape looked as furious as he did back at the Duelling Club.

'Happy Valentine's Day!' cried Lockhart. 'And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!'

 _What now?_ I thought, my stomach squirming with dread at what else Lockhart had done.

Lockhart clapped his hands. I looked round as the doors to the Great Hall swung open with a loud bang. From the Entrance Hall marched a dozen or so very surly looking dwarfs that were all wearing a pair of golden wings on their backs and what looked like a nappy on their lower bodies. Each one was also carrying a miniature harp. My eyes widened when I saw them. I think I'd look as angry as them if I'd been forced into a cupid costume.

'My friendly, card-carrying cupids!' beamed Lockhart. Friendly? They looked like if anyone dared laugh at them, they'd bite your hand off. 'They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly dog!'

The small wizard seemed to squeak in shock at Lockhart's statement, hastily burying his face in his hands to hide his reddening cheeks. Snape, meanwhile, looked like if anyone dared to ask him how to brew a Love Potion would get force-fed poison. I glanced back over my shoulder at the dwarfish cupids who had already begun spreading through the Hall to hand out cards for the students to send one another. I felt a shiver down my spine at the thought of giving or receiving a Valentine.

'If one of those dwarfs dares come near me with a Valentine, I'll hex them,' I said, watching the threatening-looking cupids cautiously as we got up to leave breakfast.

'Oh, come on, Jenna,' said Hermione, 'it'll be so exciting to get a Valentine, don't you think?' I looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

'Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six,' Ron then said, staring accusingly at her. Hermione didn't reply but her face did turn slightly pink in the cheeks. She began looking in her bag for her timetable so as to avoid answering Ron's question. I cringed.

The dwarfs were the most unromantic and ungraceful cupids possible. Throughout the day they barged into classrooms without much consideration for the teachers, causing disruption every time as they delivered their messages, nor with much consideration for the students who they were delivering the Valentines to, reading and singing them aloud for all to hear. I watched with ever growing repulsion as the rest of the Gryffindors in our year received their Valentines throughout the day; Parvati and Lavender in particular became very giggly when they received Lockhart's thank you card for his Valentines from them while Hermione went bright red when she got hers, confirming Ron's earlier suspicion. By lunchtime it looked like I was in the clear from receiving a Valentine myself until in the last few minutes of our Transfiguration class when a dwarf bust into the classroom. I thought Professor McGonagall was going to have a fit at what must have been the fourth interruption that lesson.

'Got a Valentine message for a Jen-er Black,' it grunted.

I felt my face suddenly grow bright red and I sunk down behind my desk. The dwarf looked round the class for me, waddling up the aisle to try to find me. Apart from the fact it had pronounced my name wrong I did not want to become yet another victim of this awful celebration Lockhart had single-handedly made a complete fiasco.

'She's over there!' shouted Lavender. She and Parvati were sat a few desks behind me. They were both pointing in the direction I was cowering in. 'The one with the long plait!'

The dwarf lumbered over to my desk. I wished whole-heartedly the floor would open up and swallow me whole so I didn't have to endure the humiliation but it was too late. To my horror the dwarf produced a card from its messenger bag and opened it to read it out to the class. It cleared its throat with a loud cough.

'" _To Jen-er_ ",' it read out for the whole class to hear. '" _Hellebore is black. Your hair is too. At least you're not toxic, But they're as pretty as you. From, Neville_ ".'

A laugh went round the class when the dwarf finished the poem. I instantly jumped when I heard that the Valentine was from Neville. In my embarrassment I hadn't even noticed that a pair of wolf-like ears had suddenly popped up beneath my hair having subconsciously wished I was a wolf right then so I could avoid the humiliation of hearing the card. The fact my hair was braided was the only thing stopping them becoming completely visible. I quickly put my hands over them to flatten them back under my hair until I was calm enough to get rid of them. On the opposite side of the room Neville looked ready to crawl inside his desk to hide from the number of stares he was now getting for sending me a Valentine. I guess he'd asked for it to be delivered in private so as to avoid this but the dwarfs being so callous in their work had not taken heed of his request.

My embarrassment continued well into our morning break as Parvati and Lavender took great joy in teasing me about it, also meaning I had to try and hide the ears from Harry, Ron and Hermione as best I could by holding them down with a headband I'd had in my bag; Lupin had told me that my Mum used to sprout ears whenever she was embarrassed enough by something and so had given me a headband to hide them if it ever happened to me. I was certainly thankful for the advice now even if it did mean my hearing was temporarily impaired. As for the Valentine itself, I had stuffed it hastily into my bag when the dwarf had finally given it to me where it would remain until I found somewhere to dispose of it without anyone seeing. I hoped as we headed to our Charms class that that would be the end of any more Valentines being sent our way but I was very wrong.

'Oy, you!' grunted a voice behind us. I looked round to see yet another thuggish dwarf galloping towards us through the corridor, pushing through a group of first-years that included Ginny and the small blonde girl I met at the start of the year. ''Arry Potter! I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person!'

Beside me Harry's face took on a look of pure horror at the thought of receiving a Valentine. Quickly he turned on his heel to get to our Charms class but the dwarf hurried after us.

' _Not here_ ,' Harry hissed at it.

The dwarf lunged forwards and grabbed Harry's bag.

' _Stay still!_ ' it grunted.

'Let me go!'

Harry gave his bag a sharp tug to pull it from the dwarf's grip. A loud rip was heard as his bag split in two and the entire contents spilled out over the floor, including Riddle's diary. An inkbottle smashed on to the floor beside his books covering them all in thick scarlet ink. In his haste Harry scrambled to grab his things before the dwarf started singing but not before an unwelcome face came across the commotion.

'What's going on here?' drawled Malfoy. He looked at the scene in front of him. His eyes glinted when he saw the dwarf still trying to stop Harry from not getting his musical message. To make matters worse, Percy turned up moments later, no doubt drawn to the chaos that was blocking the corridor.

'What's all this commotion?' he asked. 'Students are trying to get to their classes and you're blocking the corridor.'

Ron, Hermione and I grabbed the last of Harry's things and the four of us tried to make a run for it. Unfortunately the dwarf was too quick for us. It tackled Harry around the knees and pulled him to the ground. With Harry subdued, the dwarf sat on his ankles to prevent him from getting up again.

'Right,' it grunted, 'here is your singing Valentine.

'" _His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,  
_ _His hair is as dark as a blackboard.  
_ _I wish he was mine, he's really divine,  
_ _The hero who conquered the Dark Lord_ ".'

I had thought my Valentine was bad. Harry's was definitely worse.

'Off you go, off you go,' shouted Percy's voice as he dispersed the crowd surrounding us, 'the bell ran five minutes ago, off to class, now. _And_ you, Malfoy.'

Malfoy was showing something he'd picked up to Crabbe and Goyle. It was Riddle's diary.

'Give that back,' said Harry.

'Wonder what Potter's written in this?' said Malfoy.

A hush fell over the remaining students in the corridor; Ginny in particular looked very worried as she stared between Harry and Malfoy holding the diary, her face quite pale. In fact, now that I think about it, Ginny had been looking pale for quite some time since the attack on Colin last term. While Percy attempted to get the diary back from Malfoy, I walked over to her to see if she was all right.

'You all right, Ginny?' I asked her. 'You look like you've seen a ghost, not that you wouldn't around here.' I thought she would laugh at my joke, considering you would see at least one ghost every day around the castle. She didn't. I changed tack. 'Is something bothering you?' I tried instead. Ginny looked at me and shook her head. 'You know, you can tell me, I won't tell your brothers,' I said kindly. Ginny's brown eyes took on a suspicious look. 'I promise,' I added.

Ginny thought through what I'd said.

'What had Malfoy taken from Harry?' she asked eventually. 'What was it?'

'Oh, just some old diary Harry found a few weeks ago,' I shrugged. 'Someone had tried to flush it down Moaning Myrtle's toilet.' For some reason, Ginny seemed to pale even more. 'Are you sure you're all right?' I asked again. 'D'you want me to take you to the Hospital Wing.'

' _Expelliarmus!_ '

I looked up in time to see Harry use the Disarming Charm on Malfoy. The diary flew out of his hand, span in the air, and was caught by Ron. Percy wasn't pleased. When I looked back at Ginny, I saw she was following the rest of her class into her classroom.

'Harry!' Percy shouted. 'No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report you for this, you know!'

Harry didn't seem to care as he sent a pleased smirk at Malfoy having got the diary back. Malfoy merely sneered in return.

'I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!' he said nastily to Ginny.

Ginny's face turned bright red and she rushed into her classroom. I watched her go with a look of confusion on my face; I didn't know she had a crush on Harry. Ron was about to draw his wand but Harry stopped him. It was probably a good thing too. Ron still hadn't got his wand fixed. We didn't need a repeat of the slug incident. With the diary back in Harry's possession, we finally made it to our Charm's class. Hermione repaired Harry's bag for him on the way and he shoved his ink-sodden books back into it. I had a feeling we'd be helping him to siphon off the ink from them later.

I was relieved when the day finally came to an end and I was able to escape the still pink Great Hall for the refuge of the Gryffindor Tower after dinner. Having not been able to remove my headband until after lunch I was very keen for the day to be over. I had a feeling Harry shared my sentiment considering he spent most of the rest of the day having to endure various renditions of the musical Valentine message he'd received. Fred and George in particular took great joy in singing it over and over again much to his embarrassment, not to mention what it was probably doing to poor Ginny having written it in the first place. Harry went to bed barely an hour after we got back from dinner, not that I blamed him. I would have hidden in my dormitory too if I could after Neville's poem to me.

The following day Harry had some bad news for us. He didn't say what exactly it was, although Ron seemed to already know, and waited until we were safely away from being overheard by the tree in the Transfiguration Courtyard during break. Checking that no one was nearby who could hear what we were talking about, Harry told us about what he'd found out from Riddle's diary. Somehow he had managed to communicate with Tom Riddle through writing in the diary, his words disappearing to be replaced by replies from Riddle himself. Using some sort of magic Harry had been taken inside the diary and shown the memory of the night Riddle had caught the culprit behind the attacks in the school fifty years ago that had led to a girl being killed. While he hadn't seen or been told what the monster was, Harry had been shown who had been behind the attacks. And to our shock, it had been Hagrid.

My mouth fell open when Harry told us Hagrid had been the one responsible. As much as I didn't want to believe it though, I couldn't deny some of the obvious facts. Hagrid had a great liking for large and particularly dangerous creatures. Last year alone we had come into contact with Fluffy – his pet Cerberus that had lived in the third floor corridor the previous year – and his dragon Norbert who he'd won in a card game. It seemed too obvious that Hagrid would be interested in another dangerous magical creature and try to find some way to tame it regardless of what it was or could do. Knowing Hagrid he probably felt sympathy for the creature being cooped up in the castle and would just want to be able to set it free to get some exercise in his view, not knowing it was praying on Muggle-borns.

'Riddle _might_ have got the wrong person,' said Hermione hopefully. She had gotten Harry to recount the story several times in hopes that what he'd told us had been wrong. 'Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people …'

'How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?' said Ron.

'We always knew Hagrid had been expelled,' said Harry dismally. 'And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award.'

'But why would Hagrid do that?' I said. I still couldn't believe it. 'He doesn't seem the type to set a monster loose on someone. You saw what he was like with Norbert.'

'Maybe he didn't know what the monster would do,' said Harry.

'I find that hard to believe,' I replied. 'Hagrid knows a lot about magical creatures. He wouldn't try to look after one without researching it first, even if he was only a teenager at the time. It doesn't seem like him.'

Ron changed the subject.

'Riddle _does_ sound like Percy' he muttered. 'Who asked him to grass on Hagrid, anyway?'

'But the monster had _killed_ someone, Ron,' said Hermione.

'And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts,' said Harry. 'I don't blame him for wanting to stay here …'

'You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?' Ron then said. I didn't see what that had to do with anything.

'He was buying Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent,' replied Harry.

We fell silent. After a few moments thought, Hermione spoke.

'Do you think we should go and _ask_ Hagrid about it all?'

'He's our friend,' I agreed. 'If he's innocent then he shouldn't have anything to hide.'

'That'd be a cheerful visit,' sad Ron sarcastically. 'Hello, Hagrid, tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'

'Mad and hairy?' The four of us jumped and spun round to see Hagrid standing behind us. 'You wouldn' be talkin' about me, now would yeh?'

'No,' said the four of us at once. We looked at each other then back at Hagrid, who was looking somewhat uncomfortable himself. He was watching us carefully.

'What's that you've got, Hagrid?' Harry then asked. He pointed at the can in Hagrid's hand.

'Oh – er – it's Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent,' said Hagrid. Just like Harry had said. 'Fer the Mandrakes, yeh know. Accordin' to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit o' growin' up ter do, but once their acne's cleared up we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em and then we'll get those people in the Hospital Wing un-Petrified.' He looked at us for a second. 'In the meantime, you four had best be lookin' after yerselves, all righ'?'

We nodded. I guess that was a reference to the trouble we got in last year. With one last look, Hagrid strolled off back inside the castle.

'Maybe we shouldn't ask him,' I then said, backtracking. 'I mean, there haven't been any attacks recently. For all we know, whatever or whoever it was could have changed their minds knowing the school's on to them.'

In the end we decided not to ask Hagrid in hopes that, because nearly four months had passed since the attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, maybe the Heir of Slytherin had decided to give up on attacking Muggle-borns again. With the news from Professor Sprout that the Mandrakes were trying to move into each others pots and Peeves had finally stopped singing "Potter, You Rotter", things in the castle finally seemed back to normal. Even Ernie seemed willing to speak to Harry when he asked him to pass him the Leaping Toadstools in our Herbology class the other day.

As the second term drew to a close, the second-years had something new to think about during the Easter Holidays. We had to start thinking about what we wanted to study in our third-year as we had to make a decision by the start of the next term. We had to choose two or more out of five elective subjects to study from our third year through to our O. during our fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. The choices were Arithmancy, the Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies and Divination. We had each been given a sheet of parchment that detailed what you studied in each of the subjects for the following three years to help us decide. Out of all of them, the only one that gained my interest was Care of Magical Creatures. I didn't particularly want to do Muggle Studies – considering I grew up with Muggles – while Divination was all about fortune telling which sounded very unreliable. Ancient Runes required a lot of work in translating and reading ancient texts which, given my track record with History of Magic, probably wasn't a wise choice for me to do, and Arithmancy meant I'd have to learn a new branch of magic involving the magical properties of numbers. With a minimum of two to choose, I was struggling with what else to pick.

'It could affect our whole future,' said Hermione. She poured over her copy of the list of subjects while Harry and Ron looked less than thrilled opposite us. She had made several annotations to it.

'I just want to give up Potions,' said Harry.

'We can't,' said Ron sadly. 'We keep all our old subjects, or I'd have ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'But that's very important!' said Hermione.

'Not the way Lockhart teaches it,' said Ron. 'I haven't learnt anything from him except not to set pixies loose.'

'Well, at the rate he's going, he won't be here next year,' I mused. 'I think some of the other teachers would resign if they had to put up with him for another year.'

It was clear all of us were having trouble in deciding what to study next year. Neville had his tongue between his teeth as he read through all the letters he'd received from his family offering different advice on what to choose next year; Seamus had his head on the desk from the strain of the amount of information; Parvati and Lavender appeared to be opting for the more flouncy subjects like Divination; while Dean, being a Muggle-born, had resorted to closing his eyes and jabbing his quill at the list, choosing whatever subject it landed on. Only Hermione seemed certain about what she wanted to study and ended up signing up for all of the new subjects. How she was going to get to all the classes, however, I had no idea. Even Percy's wasn't that helpful.

'It's never too early to think about the future,' he said pompously, 'so I'd recommend Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them – look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths.'

 _Play to your strengths_ , I thought. Well, I liked creatures considering I could turn into them. I ticked off Care of Magical Creatures on the parchment I had to write my decision on. I took another glance at the sheet with all the information about the subjects on it. As boring as it sounded, the only other class I could see being able to make any progress in was Divination. While I had no interest in reading tea leaves or palms, it sounded a lot less painful to study than something as tricky as Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, or as dull as Muggle Studies. Reluctantly I ticked it on my sheet, making my final choice.

In all the excitement I had forgotten that Gryffindor's next match against Hufflepuff was this coming Saturday. The Gryffindor team had been training relentlessly for the past couple of months under Wood's insistence and from what I knew from Fred and George, it seemed to be paying off. At least they were no longer coming back soaking wet from practice. They came back to the Tower on Friday night before dinner with grins on their faces that I took to mean we had a good possibility of beating Hufflepuff the following day. Telling us he was just going to get changed out of his Quidditch robes, Harry dashed off upstairs to his dormitory. He didn't come down, however, for a good ten minutes. Ron, whose stomach was audibly grumbling, went upstairs to see what was keeping him. They both came down a few minutes later. Harry looked worried about something.

'What's wrong?' I asked.

'Riddle's diary is gone,' said Harry in a hushed voice. Hermione's and my eyes widened. 'Someone got into our dormitory and went through my things obviously looking for it.'

'But – only a Gryffindor could have stolen – nobody else knows our password …' Hermione breathed.

'Exactly,' said Harry. 'So whoever stole it had to be a Gryffindor which means the Heir of Slytherin must have known I had the diary and blackmailed someone in the Tower to get it back for them.'

As concerned as I was about the fact the diary had gone missing, my concentration was elsewhere as Harry told us how he was certain that the diary was what was missing. A few moments after Harry and Ron had come down from the boys' dormitories, I saw out the corner of my eye a flash of red cross the common room and go up the girls' dormitory staircase. It had looked like Ginny and she had looked rather distressed about something. Excusing myself to the others, saying I'd left something upstairs, I got up and walked up the girls' staircase up to the first-year dormitory. Cautiously I pushed the door open and poked my head around it.

The first-year dormitory was almost identical to my own in design with the same layout and the same four-poster beds and red linen as my own dormitory had. As my eyes scanned the room I looked up at the ceiling, intruiged to find that it was not covered in the same amount of cobwebs that were usually found in the Gryffindor Tower considering how warm it was in here. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single spider visible at all. Opposite the door I found Ginny lying on her bed with her head in her pillows. She was crying. I approached her. The nearer I got, I saw that Ginny's bed was covered in feathers that didn't look like they'd come from her pillow.

'Ginny?' I said carefully so as not to startle her. Ginny sat up almost instantly. She took one look at me then began to grab all the feathers that were surrounding her and shove them along with a book into her draw. 'Is everything OK?'

'Yes, everything's fine,' said Ginny quickly. Her voice shook as she spoke which seemed very out of character. 'I guess Errol's been malting on my bed again.'

'Here, let me help you,' I offered. I went to pick up the feathers only to find they weren't owl feathers like Ginny claimed. 'Ginny,' I said slowly, 'these feathers are from chickens. What are they doing in here?'

'Er, Jenna, I think someone's calling you,' said Ginny. She dropped the feathers then proceeded to push me out of her dormitory. 'I'll see you later.'

Ginny slammed the door shut behind her. I stared at it, confused by what I had just witnessed. Eventually I turned away, unsure whether or not to tell Ron or one of her older brothers that something was clearly disturbing Ginny. Whatever it was, it was clear Ginny didn't want to discuss it.

Ginny's odd behaviour seemed to continue for the rest of the weekend. I did my best to keep an eye on her without alerting the others that I was suspicious that something was going on and I didn't like what I saw. With my full attention on her I saw that Ginny was no longer the bright and cheerful girl I had spoken to on the train up to Hogwarts back in September. Now she was pale and ill-looking, her skin almost chalk white in colour and there were dark circles forming beneath her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. Even her hair, a fiery red just like her brothers', seemed duller than before and lank as it hung in curtains around her face. For some reason she seemed to keep herself secluded from the rest of the Gryffindors, sitting down the far end of the table by herself unless joined by some students in her year against her will. I saw the blonde Ravenclaw girl was a frequent sight by her side whether Ginny wanted the company or not. And on Saturday morning when the rest of the school made their way down to the Quidditch pitch for the match I noticed Ginny didn't join them, instead retreating back up the Marble Staircase.

I frowned as I watched Ginny walk away. She grew up with at least four Quidditch obsessed brothers, two of which who were currently on the team, and she didn't want to go see them play. It just didn't make sense.

 _Kill this time … let me rip … tear …_

'The voice!' shouted Harry. I jumped almost out of my skin at his reaction having already been startled by the voice itself. Instinctively I put my hand over my ears, glad to feel they hadn't changed from the surprise. 'I just heard it again – didn't you?'

Ron, who looked like he'd just been stunned by a spell, shook his head. Suddenly a thought I'd had back in December came to the surface of my mind. The voice in the walls was very low and raspy, almost as if it was hissing – just like Harry's voice had been when he had spoken Parseltongue to that snake at the Duelling Club. What if whatever it was in the walls was a snake? I knew it was a long shot but it suddenly seemed to make a lot of sense. By the looks of it, Hermione was thinking the same thing.

'Harry – I think I've just understood something!' she gasped, clapping her hand to her forehead. 'I've got to go to the Library! Come on, Jenna!'

Hermione dashed off before any of us could stop her. I took one more look at the boys, shrugged, then ran off after her. If Hermione had thought what I had just thought, then maybe between the two of us we could work out just exactly what the thing was that had been hiding in the walls of the castle. I ran through the castle as fast as I could after Hermione as she ran to the Library. I managed to catch up to her just as she opened the door to go inside.

'Hermione, what is it you understand?' I panted.

'That thing Harry's been hearing,' said Hermione quickly and quietly as we walked inside the Library. 'It _must_ be a snake of some sort! That's why Harry can hear it but we can't.' So we had had the same thought and it had confirmed why I could hear it too. 'But what a snake's doing in the castle, I don't know.'

Hermione began pulling off several different history books from their shelves and looking through them for anything that might tell us something about a snake living in the castle. None of them recorded anything about it, not even _Hogwarts: A History_. But as we searched, I realised something: Hermione was looking at the situation from the completely wrong direction. When she had tried to research the Chamber of Secrets, we had found nothing detailing anything about it because she had been looking through history books for something that didn't exist according to fact, so why would it list anything about a snake? We didn't need history books; we needed a book about creatures. As quickly as I could I found a copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and flicked through its pages. I searched for any serpent that could live for fifty years or more. I quickly found what I was looking for then raced into the next aisle to find a book I knew would have more information on what I had found.

'Hermione, I've found it!' I said suddenly. I had a copy of _Most Macabre Monstrosities_ in front of me, a book I had seen previously in Lupin's office. While _Fantastic Beasts_ documented all sorts of creatures, as the title suggests _Most Macabre_ focused on Dark creatures. Hermione ran over to me and looked over my shoulder. I pointed at a passage in the middle of the page we were on. 'The creature that's attacking everyone is a Basilisk!'

 _Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land,  
_ _there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk,  
_ _known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may  
_ _reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born  
_ _from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of  
_ _killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous  
_ _fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are  
_ _fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders  
_ _flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the  
_ _Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal  
_ _to it._

'Jenna, are you sure?' Hermione asked me.

'I'm positive,' I said. 'Hagrid told Harry and me that something had killed his roosters, and there were the spiders we found crawling out of the castle the night Mrs Norris was attacked. It all fits.'

'But how come no one's been killed if the Basilisk has a deadly stare?' said Hermione.

I thought this through. Hermione had a point. How was no one dead when a Basilisk could kill you with one look? I felt Hermione nudge me in my ribs. She pointed at the window upon which I could see our reflections. She had answered her own question.

'Because no one did look it in the eyes,' I said.

'Not directly,' said Hermione. 'Colin had his camera; Justin saw it through Nick; and Mrs Norris must have seen it through the water that was on the floor that night.'

'But how is it getting round the castle?' I asked. 'Basilisks are massive. Someone would be bound to notice a giant snake slithering around the castle.' Hermione was silently for a moment. Then it hit her.

'The pipes!' she said. 'The pipes in Hogwarts are huge! A giant snake like that's using the plumbing to get around the castle. That's why Harry has been hearing the voice inside the walls.'

'Which means it must be coming from a bathroom,' I said. Hermione and I shared a look of shock.

'Moaning Myrtle,' we both breathed.

'We've got to find Harry and Ron,' said Hermione.

Without a second's more consideration for what she was doing, Hermione grabbed a quill from a nearby desk. She scribbled the word "pipes" on to the page then proceeded to tear it out of the book. Madam Pince would have had a heart attack if she'd seen what Hermione had just done. Before I could stop her though, Hermione had already run out of the Library. There was something important Hermione was missing which she didn't even realise she needed to know but that I had worked out the moment we'd found out it was a Basilisk. It explained everything I'd seen in the last few days: the feathers on Ginny's bed, the lack of spiders in her dormitory, and why she'd been looking so ill recently. Ginny was behind the attacks. I didn't know how, but it was vital we got to Ginny before the boys if we had any hope of stopping anyone else from getting hurt.

Abandoning the books despite knowing Madam Pince would send them after me if she'd caught me I ran after Hermione. I ran back down the corridor and round the corner. Hermione was just ahead talking to a confused looking Ravenclaw girl. From her bag the girl pulled out what looked like a pocket mirror. Hermione grabbed it and held it out so it reflected the next corridor. I ran over to them.

 _Time to kill … I smell blood … I NEED blood …_

'Hermione, wait!' I shouted. 'Don't look in the mirror!'

Before I could stop her, Hermione had raised the mirror to her eye level and both her and the Ravenclaw were leaning in to look into it. As if in slow motion I saw the look of terror pass over their faces and the two of them recoiled back from whatever they'd seen. This wave of fear seemed to sweep over their heads and down their bodies turning their skin a strange grey and freezing them in place. I reached them just in time before they both collapsed. I caught Hermione under the arms while the other girl I just managed to grab her wrist. I let her down first then laid Hermione's Petrified form on to the floor.

'Hermione!' I shouted. I stared at her glassy eyes that were wide with fear. Her mouth was slightly open with a scream on her lips that had never left them. 'Help!' I shouted. 'There's been another attack! Someone help!'

I looked round the corridor for any sign of someone who could help me. It was then I saw her. Standing there, her eyes transfixed on where I was crouched with Hermione and the other girl, was Ginny. But there was something wrong. Her eyes were empty black circles and there were dark shadows beneath them that stood out against her chalk white skin.

' _You know too much_ ,' said Ginny but it wasn't entirely her voice. I could hear hers but also this deeper more masculine one was talking as well. It hissed angrily at me and I realised she wasn't even speaking English. It was Parseltongue. Ginny raised her wand and pointed it at me. ' _Falsum Memoria_.'

My eyes widened as I felt the spell hit me. A strange greyish cloud covered them and I felt my mind begin to spin. I saw several images in my head: Ginny in the corridor; the book with the information on the Basilisk; being in the library with Hermione; Ginny's dormitory, the rooster feathers on her bed. One by one these images began to blur and change as none of them made any sense. An empty corridor; reading a book on owl care; being alone in the library; my dormitory with feathers from a ripped pillow on my bed.

The cloudiness receded. I shook myself not knowing where I was or what I was doing. For some reason I was near the library on the second floor. To my left I saw a couple of spiders making a run for it across the large stone bricks of the floor; they scurried quickly up the wall and across to the open window. How strange. I felt something touch my hand when I moved it. I saw Hermione and a second girl lying beside me where I was knelt on the floor. There was a mirror in Hermione's hand for some reason, it frozen in place level with her face. Both had been Petrified, their bodies' stiff as a board and their skin pale grey. I screamed when I saw them. There was a sudden rush of footsteps down the opposite end of the corridor.

'Oh my goodness!' squeaked Professor Flitwick's voice. He clapped his hands to his mouth almost throwing himself backwards at the sight of Hermione and the Ravenclaw girl. 'M-Miss Black, what happened?'

'I don't know,' I said, my voice shaking. 'One minute I was in the library – then I was here and – they were like this –'

'I-I must inform the Headmaster,' said Professor Flitwick. 'Miss Black, are you able to stand? Good, good. Now, take out your wand.' I nodded and did as I was told; my legs were shaking badly. 'I'm going to transfer a spell to your wand that will help you move Miss Granger and Miss Clearwater. You are to take them straight to the Hospital Wing and to Madam Pomfrey. I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and inform them there's been another attack.

'Now, one – two – three – _Locomotor_.'

Professor Flitwick twitched his wand in an upward motion. The spell lifted both Hermione and Miss Clearwater's bodies off the floor. Carefully he touched his wand tip to my own to transfer the spell. With their bodies in my control under the spell, I walked forwards slowly directing them down the corridor while Professor Flitwick ran in the opposite direction to find Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. It took me a while to do so but eventually I made it to the Hospital Wing. I used my back to push open the door and called out to Madam Pomfrey as I guided Hermione and Miss Clearwater's bodies inside. Madam Pomfrey's reaction mimicked Professor Flitwick's as she gasped in shock. She then immediately took action and took control of the spell to put the two of them on to a couple of beds.

I numbly stood by the door as Madam Pomfrey rushed around the newly occupied beds. It was a few minutes more before she realised I was still standing there. She strode over to me and ushered me into a chair next to Hermione's bed before disappearing into her office. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a small goblet of something. She told me to drink it. I did so. At once I felt a wave of cold liquid rush through me. I felt my muscles suddenly relax having not noticed I'd tensed up from the shock I'd just had.

'Madam Pomfrey,' I eventually managed to croak out. 'Is Hermione going to be OK?'

'Miss Granger has been Petrified,' said Madam Pomfrey, 'as has Miss Clearwater. I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do.'

Another ten minutes had passed before I heard footsteps outside the Hospital Wing. In that time Madam Pomfrey had examined Hermione fully and placed her on her back on the bed she was lying on. I stared at her numbly. She looked like a corpse, her body rigid with her hand stuck in place in the air. The mirror was no longer in it having been prised from her stiff grip by Madam Pomfrey. It lay on the bedside table. With Hermione dealt with Madam Pomfrey turned to sort out Miss Clearwater.

'I warn you,' said the voice on the other side of the Hospital Wing door. It was Professor McGonagall. 'This will be a bit of a shock. There has been another attack … another _double_ attack.'

I looked up to see Harry and Ron walked into the Hospital Wing with Professor McGonagall. Instantly I got up and ran over to them. I flung my arms around Harry. I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes.

'Jenna, what's wrong?' Harry asked me.

I didn't say anything. I simply pointed behind me at where Hermione lay Petrified. I turned enough so I could see her out the corner of my eye.

' _Hermione!_ ' I heard Ron groan.

'They were found near the library,' said Professor McGonagall. 'I don't suppose either of you can explain this?' She had picked up the mirror to show the boys. 'It was found in Miss Granger's hand.'

Harry shook his head while Ron remained silent.

'I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower,' said Professor McGonagall heavily. 'I need to address the students in any case.'

Harry and Ron looked at me as if to ask what had happened but I shook my head to indicate now was not the time with Professor McGonagall with us. We walked in silence in front of her through the castle and back up to the Gryffindor Tower. She said the password and the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open to admit us. Inside a hush fell on the students all gathered in the common room as they waited to see who was entering. They stared at Harry, Ron and me as we walked through the portrait hole. When they saw Professor McGonagall enter after us, the silence broke as several students began asking what had happened.

'Has there been another attack?'

'Is it the Heir again?'

'They're not going to cancel Quidditch, are they?' asked Wood.

'Silence!' called Professor McGonagall. Her eyes roved the common room through her square glasses as she waited for quiet. Harry, Ron and I took some seats next to Fred, George, Percy and Ginny. 'It is with deep regret that I must inform you that there has been another attack,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Earlier this morning Hermione Granger and Ravenclaw sixth-year, Penelope Clearwater, were found this morning Petrified near the Library. In light of these events, the Headmaster has imposed the following rules until we have put an end to these attacks.'

Professor McGonagall pulled a scroll out of her robe pocket and began to read from it.

'All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening,' she continued. 'No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.'

She paused, and when she spoke again her voice was slightly choked, 'I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.'

Professor McGonagall rolled the scroll up. She turned on her heel and left the common room.

'That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff,' said Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, loud enough for almost everyone in the common room to hear. 'Haven't _any_ of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it _obvious_ all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The _Heir_ of Slytherin, the _monster_ of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?'

There was a scattering of nods and applause. I remained silent, as did Percy. He looked as shocked as I felt.

'Percy's in shock,' George told us. 'That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a Prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a _Prefect_.'

I glanced at Harry and Ron. Both looked very worried. With a nod of his head, Harry indicated for us to go upstairs. Quietly the three of us snuck away from the common room and went up to Harry and Ron's dormitory. Luckily Neville, Dean and Seamus were all busy agreeing with Lee Jordan on kicking out the Slytherin students. We shut the door behind us so we wouldn't get disturbed. Harry then turned to me.

'Jenna, what happened?' he asked. 'What did you see?'

I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts but they were all so messed up.

'Hermione and I had gone to the Library,' I said. I did my best to recount what had happened. 'Hermione had been looking through some books but we didn't find anything. She gave up and left the Library to go down to the match while I remembered I needed to look something up on owl care for Gizmo as he'd had some trouble with his wing recently.' As I said it, something didn't sound right although I knew that was what I had done. 'I left a few minutes after Hermione. That's when I found her in the corridor with that Ravenclaw girl and the mirror. They were already Petrified when I got there.'

'So you didn't see anything?' Harry persisted. 'You didn't see what or who attacked them?'

I shook my head.

'What're we going to do?' Ron then said. 'D'you think they suspect Hagrid?'

'We've got to go and talk to him,' said Harry. 'I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start.'

'But Professor McGonagall said we've got to stay in the Tower unless we're in class,' said Ron.

'How are we going to get down to Hagrid's Hut without getting caught?' I asked. Harry glanced at his trunk.

'I think it's time to get my Dad's old Cloak out again.'

There was an odd hush over the Great Hall that night at dinner. All of the students were shocked that another attack had happened after so many months without any incident. Like us, they were trying to work out why another Muggle-born had been attacked as well as a half-blood this time, and why now the Heir had decided to make himself known again after so long. While the sombre mood hung over the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students – having each had at least one student attacked – the Slytherins talked among themselves as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Malfoy in particular seemed pleased to hear that Hermione had been the victim.

'I knew it'd be only a matter of time before Granger got attacked,' he said to Crabbe and Goyle. He deliberately raised his voice when he saw Harry, Ron and I pass him. 'Serves her right, the nosey little Mudblood.'

Harry and I had to drag Ron away before he leapt on Malfoy. We didn't let go until we'd reached the fourth floor on our way back to the Tower that evening with the rest of the Gryffindors, Professor Kettleburn escorting us.

I went to bed at the same time as the boys that night and before Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne who were down in the common room still talking about the Chamber of Secrets to Neville, Dean and Seamus. I drew the curtains around my bed so that it would look like I was asleep when the others finally came to bed. I remained dressed in my clothes though so I could sneak out straight away when I got Harry and Ron's signal. I watched my clock as the minutes ticked down. Finally at ten o'clock I heard a tap at my window. I pulled back my curtain enough to see a paper bird rustling outside.

' _Finite_ ,' I whispered. The paper bird dropped lifeless on to the sill.

I carefully swung my legs out of bed and touched my feet to the floor. Careful to not make a sound I crept across the dormitory and out through the door. Only once it was shut behind me did I rush down to the common room to meet the boys. Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over the three of us and we left the Gryffindor Tower, the sleeping Fat Lady swinging shut behind us. The castle was unusually busy so late into the night. Teachers, ghosts and Prefects were all prowling the corridors keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. While the Cloak hid us, it didn't muffle our feet and so we had to be careful as we crept past the various people we passed. We were all relieved when we finally reached the foot of the Clock Tower and the doors out to the castle grounds.

Once safely in the grounds Harry, Ron and I sped up while still keeping the Cloak over us so as not to be seen. We hurried across the Wooden Bridge and into the Stone Circle. From the top of the hill we saw there was a light still visible in Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forest. He was still awake. The night's sky was cloudless and bright with stars giving us some good visibility as we raced down the hill to his Hut. We pulled off the Cloak once we on his doorstep then knocked on the door. It flew open with a bang. Hagrid, his crossbow in his hands, looked wildly around before realising it was us. Fang was barking loudly behind him.

'Oh,' he said. He lowered his crossbow. 'What're you three doin' here?'

'What's that for?' countered Harry, pointing at the weapon. Hagrid stood aside to let us in.

'Nothin' … nothin' …' muttered Hagrid. 'I've bin expectin' … doesn't matter … Sit down … I'll make tea …'

Hagrid seemed very distracted as he busied about his Hut. He spilled the water out of the kettle as he hooked it over his fire, almost extinguishing it, then proceeded to smash his teapot as he placed it on the table. His hands were shaking badly. I've never seen Hagrid look so worried.

'Are you OK, Hagrid?' Harry asked. 'Did you hear about Hermione?'

'Oh, I heard, all righ',' said Hagrid grimly.

The kettle whistled. Hagrid unhooked it from the metal pole and poured us each a cup of boiling water having forgotten to put in the tea bags. He didn't even notice. He kept looking out the window as if he was expecting something to happen or someone to turn up. Whatever it was, it knocked at the door a few minutes later causing Hagrid to drop the fruitcake he was plating up for us. Harry, Ron and I looked at each other. We weren't meant to be here and we'd be in deep trouble if we got caught. We got out of our chairs and threw the Cloak over us. We backed into a corner once we were covered. Hagrid checked to see if we were visible then picked up his crossbow once more and opened the door.

'Good evening, Hagrid.'

It was Professor Dumbledore but he wasn't alone. A second wizard entered Hagrid's Hut after him dressed in a very odd-looking pinstriped suit with a scarlet tie and a dark travelling cloak over his shoulders. He took a lime-green bowler hat off his greying hair and put it under his arm.

'That's Dad's boss,' whispered Ron. 'Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic!'

Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs to shut him up.

'Bad business, Hagrid,' said Fudge. 'Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. Ministry's got to act.'

'I never,' said Hagrid. His normally reddish face had paled visibly beneath his beard. 'You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir …'

'I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence,' said Dumbledore firmly. His eyes were narrowed at Fudge.

'Look, Albus,' said Fudge, raising a hand. 'Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something – the school governors have been in touch.'

'Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest,' said Dumbledore. I wasn't sure what it was but there was something in Dumbledore's voice. It didn't sound as friendly as it normally did.

'Look at it from my point of view,' said Fudge. 'I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty –'

'Take me?' repeated Hagrid suddenly. 'Take me where?'

'For a short stretch only,' said Fudge. He didn't look at Hagrid. 'Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology …'

'Not Azkaban?' gasped Hagrid.

I stifled my gasp. Hagrid couldn't get sent to Azkaban. It was horrible there and if the prison itself didn't destroy you first with its dank surroundings, the Dementors certainly would.

There was another knock at the door. Dumbledore answered it. This time it was Ron jabbing Harry in the ribs to shut him up when he saw who entered the Hut. I too had to prevent myself from gasping a second time. I watched as Mr Malfoy strode brazenly into Hagrid's Hut. His eyes scoured the room, both a look of disgust and a satisfied smile on his face. Fang growled from behind Hagrid's leg.

'Already here, Fudge,' said Mr Malfoy, obviously pleased. 'Good, good …'

'This cannot be good,' I whispered. Harry elbowed me in the side but still he and Ron nodded.

'What're you doin' here?' shouted Hagrid. 'Get outta my house!'

'My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your –' Malfoy looked around the Hut a second time, '– er – d'you call this a house?' he sneered. 'I simply called at the school and was told that the Headmaster was here,' Malfoy continued.

'And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?' queried Dumbledore.

' _Dreadful_ thing, Dumbledore,' said Malfoy lightly. He pulled a roll of parchment out of his robes. 'But the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension – you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an _awful_ loss that would be to the school.'

'Oh, now, see here, Lucius,' said Fudge reproachfully. 'Dumbledore suspended … no, no … last thing we want just now …'

'The appointment – or suspension – of the Headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge,' said Malfoy. 'And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks …'

'Now look, Lucius,' said Fudge, 'if _Dumbledore_ can't stop them – I mean to say, who _can_?'

'That remains to be seen,' said Malfoy curtly. He smiled. 'But as all twelve of us have voted …'

'An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?' shouted Hagrid.

'Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid,' said Malfoy. 'I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all.'

'Yeh can' take Dumbledore!' yelled Hagrid. 'Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin's next!'

'Calm yourself, Hagrid,' said Dumbledore sharply. He then turned to Malfoy. 'If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside.'

'But –' objected Fudge.

' _No!_ ' growled Hagrid.

'However,' continued Dumbledore as if neither interruption had happened. His tone had changed and he spoke with a very clear voice. 'You will find that I will only _truly_ have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.'

I thought for a moment about what Dumbledore had said, that help would always be given to those who asked. I didn't understand how that could be if he was removed from the school. But Hagrid was right. If the took Dumbledore away the Muggle-borns wouldn't stand a chance.

'Admirable sentiments,' said Malfoy. He bowed his head ever so slightly. 'We shall all miss your – er – highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any – ah – " _killin's_ ".'

Mr Malfoy turned on his heel and opened the door. He bowed as Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the Hut. The smirk of success was still evident on his face. Fudge fiddled with his bowler hat as he waited for Hagrid to leave before him but for some reason he stayed resolutely where he was.

'If anyone wanted ter find out some _stuff_ ,' he said loudly, 'all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the _spiders_. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'.'

I assume that message was meant for us. I glanced at the boys who shared my curious look at why Hagrid was telling us to "follow spiders". Fudge stared amazed at Hagrid. It was an interesting choice of final words.

'All right, I'm comin',' grunted Hagrid. He pulled on his moleskin overcoat and ducked out of his front door, not before adding, 'An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away.'

The door shut with a bang after Fudge left. With the wizards and Hagrid all gone Ron pulled the Cloak off us.

'We're in trouble now,' he said. His voice was dry. 'No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone.'

I stepped away from the boys and went over to Fang. He was scratching at the door trying to follow Hagrid. He whimpered pathetically to be let out. I knelt down beside him and began to scratch his ear to try and calm him down.

'What d'you think he meant by "follow the spiders"?' I asked.

Harry frowned as he thought through Hagrid's suggestion.

'I think it's a clue,' said Harry. 'You remember when we took a look at the corridor Mrs Norris was attacked in? We saw those spiders running across the wall trying to get outside. I saw them again when Justin was attacked.'

'I saw some spiders too when Hermione got attacked,' I said. 'It looked like they were trying to get away from something.'

'What if –' Harry continued, thinking very fast, '– what if whatever is attacking the students is something the spiders fear?'

'Then they have the right idea trying to get away from it,' muttered Ron. He'd paled at all the talk of spiders.

'But if spiders run away from whatever it is,' I said, 'what good will following them do?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. His brow was furrowed and I recognised the look on his face. It was the same as last year when he was determined to find out about the Philosopher's Stone. 'But if we've got any hope in finding out what's attacking the students before anyone else gets hurt, we need to find some spiders.'

I found it hard to believe that summer was already here. The grounds were once again bright and green after the dismal wet winter, and the sky was a clear pale blue with wisps of clouds streaking across it. The atmosphere around the castle, however, was not as happy. The students were still on edge under the new regime since the attack on Hermione and Penelope even with the teachers escorting us to all our classes and with the news that Dumbledore had been removed seemed to spread fear like never before. The Gryffindors in particular had taken Hagrid's arrest to heart and were saddened at no longer seeing him around the grounds like before. Even the Hospital Wing was now out of bounds as Madam Pomfrey didn't want to take any chances in case the Heir came back for those already Petrified.

Hagrid's words of "follow the spiders" remained with Harry, Ron and me but no matter where we looked we couldn't find any. In a castle as old as Hogwarts it seemed strange to be void of any spiders making their webs in the corners of the glass windows or at the tops of the stone arches. We were also hindered by the fact that wherever we went a teacher was with us and so we were limited on opportunities to look in different areas of the castle that we wouldn't normally go because of not having a class there.

In amongst all the tension there was one person who seemed particularly pleased about the changes to Hogwarts. The following day after Dumbledore's dismissal it was hard to miss Malfoy strutting around the castle as if it was just another ordinary day with a large smirk on his pointed face. Our suspicions about why he was so happy were confirmed in our Potions lesson when he couldn't resist bragging to Crabbe and Goyle knowing we were well within earshot of him.

'I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore,' said Malfoy loudly. As per usual, Snape ignored Malfoy's behaviour. 'I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst Headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent Headmaster now. Someone who won't _want_ the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in until they find a suitable replacement.

'Sir,' Malfoy then said, even louder. Snape had just walked past Hermione's empty seat without a comment. He glanced in Malfoy's direction. 'Sir, why don't _you_ apply for the Headmaster's job?'

'Now, now, Malfoy,' sad Snape. 'Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I dare say he'll be back with us soon enough.' As he said this, there was a vague hint of a smile playing on his thin lips.

'Yeah, right,' said Malfoy. 'I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job. _I'll_ tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir …'

Snape turned away, the smirk still on his face.

'I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now,' Malfoy continued. 'Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger …'

'Ronald!' I hissed as Ron leapt from his seat. Harry and Dean grabbed him just as the bell went. In amongst the noise of people grabbing their bags his attempt to lunge at Malfoy even with Harry and Dean holding him back went unnoticed.

'Let me at him,' Ron growled. He pulled against Harry and Dean but they wouldn't let go. 'I don't care, I don't need a wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands –'

'Hurry up, I've got take you all to Herbology,' barked Snape impatiently.

The class filed out with the Slytherins at the front. Harry, Ron, Dean and I were the last to leave, the two boys keeping a firm hand on Ron who was still trying to get to Malfoy while I walked ahead to separate them. We walked through the castle in silence and back up to the Entrance Hall. Here we met Professor Vector who collected the Slytherins and dropped off the Hufflepuffs with us. We waited until we were out of the castle though before we released Ron. Snape marched us quickly across the grounds and round the Herbology greenhouses. Once in Professor Sprout's care Snape swept off back up to the castle.

Both Justin and Hermione were now missing from class and it showed that all of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were upset at their absence. We all seemed to look at each other with a look of sympathy that one of our fellow Housemates had been attacked. Professor Sprout too voiced her sincere regrets that Hermione and Justin were not with us before setting us pruning Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. I worked silently beside Harry and Ron. My eyes every so often looked at the vacant space beside me where Hermione should have been. A few minutes into the class, Ernie approached where were working.

'I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you,' he said apologetically. 'I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologise for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well –'

He held out a hand for Harry to shake. He did so. Ernie looked back over his shoulder at Hannah and nodded his head in our direction. She nervously came over to our table with the Shrivelfig that she and Ernie were to work on. We made room for theirs and together we worked in silence.

'That Draco Malfoy character,' Ernie continued in a low voice, 'he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think _he_ might be Slytherin's Heir.'

'That's clever of you,' said Ron. I sent him a look having noted his sarcasm.

'Do _you_ think it's Malfoy, Harry?' Ernie asked.

'No,' said Harry, perhaps a little too firmly. Ernie and Hannah stared at him.

'Malfoy's all wand and no spell,' I said quickly to cover for him. 'In all his bravado, I don't somehow think even he would be brave enough to face whatever's been attacking everyone, Heir or not.'

' _Ouch!_ ' said Ron loudly.

I looked at him, wondering what had made him do that. Harry pointed at the ground a few feet away from where we were working. I watched as several rather large spiders scurried across the dirt covered floor and out of the open window.

'We can't follow them now,' said Ron quietly.

'Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest …'

The three of us shared a knowing look. Ernie and Hannah, meanwhile, didn't have a clue why we were watching spiders.

'We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again,' Harry told Ron and me as we walked back up to the castle under Snape's watchful eyes. We walked in a tight huddle at the back so as not to be overheard. 'We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the Forest with Hagrid, he might be some help.'

'Right,' said Ron. I could hear how shaky his voice was at the thought of going into the Forest chasing spiders. He was fiddling with his broken wand causing the odd spark to shoot out of it. 'Er – aren't there – aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the Forest?'

I frowned and took my seat next to Harry in our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. I held my tongue knowing Ron would be baffled by my reaction to his fear of werewolves.

'There are good things in there, too,' said Harry. 'The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns.'

'Werewolves aren't bad either,' I muttered to myself.

Lockhart swept into the classroom a few minutes after us having just dropped off his own group of students at their next lesson. He looked at us all, a large grin on his face.

'Come now,' he said happily, 'why all these long faces? Don't you people realise, the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away.'

Harry, Ron and I shared a look. Lockhart really had no clue, did he?

'Says who?' said Dean.

'My dear young man,' said Lockhart, exasperated, 'the Minister for Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred per cent sure that he was guilty.'

'Oh, yes he would,' said Ron.

'I flatter myself I know a _touch_ more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr Weasley,' said Lockhart.

Harry had to kick Ron under the desk to stop him from responding. We hadn't meant to be at Hagrid's the night he was arrested after all. Instead Harry scribbled a note on to his sheet of parchment and pushed it in front of him just enough for Ron and me to be able to see it.

 _Let's do it tonight_.

Ron swallowed. He took one look at Hermione's empty seat then, with a sudden rush of determination, he nodded.

The Gryffindor Tower remained full well after dinner due to the fact all the students were now forced to do their homework in their common rooms. I watched as the boys played Exploding Snap with Fred and George while Ginny sat quietly in Hermione's usual seat. She seemed as uninterested as I was, her face drawn and tired. I glanced at her as she sat there, a narrowed expression on my face. Something was bothering me but I couldn't put my finger on it. Unable to identify the feeling I turned back to the game to wait for it to finish. When Fred and George finally went to bed, Harry pulled the Cloak from underneath him.

'Be careful,' I told them as we walked over to the portrait hole. Harry and Ron were going without me as we needed someone to stay downstairs in the common room so they could be let back inside. 'Those spiders could be going anywhere in the Forest. Don't get yourselves lost or trapped.'

'We won't,' said Harry. 'We'll be back as soon as possible.'

I nodded. I wished them luck and watched as they disappeared into the background as Harry threw his Cloak over them. I pushed open the portrait hole and let them out. Now all I could do was wait for them to return.

Harry and Ron were gone a long time. I did my best to keep myself awake while I waited for them but eventually sleep overtook me and I curled up in my chair with my head on the arm. It was nearing midnight by the time I heard a rustling over by the portrait hole. I opened my eyes to see a piece of parchment being slid underneath the thin crack between the painting and the floor. It must be them. I got up and quickly crossed the common room to open the portrait hole. I watched as nothing entered but I could just hear the sound of their footsteps. Once the portrait was closed Harry pulled off the Cloak.

'What happened?' I asked instantly.

'Hagrid's innocent,' replied Harry. A rush of relief swept over me at that. We went over to our seats in the corner. 'He had nothing to do with it.'

'So what did?'

'Aragog wouldn't say.'

'What's Aragog?'

'You know how Hagrid told us to "follow the spiders"?' said Ron. He was looking rather pale as if he'd recently thrown up. I nodded. 'We followed the spiders. To more spiders. _Big_ spiders.' I gave Ron a strange look. 'There's a whole family of them living in the Forest.'

'The monster they thought was responsible for the attacks fifty years ago wasn't Aragog,' explained Harry. 'Aragog was Hagrid's pet while he was at school he got from a traveller. He wouldn't say what it was that was attacking the students though, only that it is a creature that they fear most. He also said the girl who died was discovered in a bathroom.'

My eyes widened slightly.

'A bathroom?' I repeated slowly. 'Harry, do you realise what this means?' Harry and Ron looked at me blankly. 'Think about it. Who do we know lives in a bathroom?'

Realisation seemed to hit Harry while Ron was still looked a bit vacant.

'Ron – that girl who died,' gasped Harry. 'Aragog said she was found in a bathroom. What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?'

Finally it hit him.

'You _don't_ think – not _Moaning Myrtle_?'

'All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away,' Ron muttered angrily the next morning as we ate breakfast, 'and we could've asked her, and now we can't even get anywhere near the bathroom because of the teachers escorting us everywhere around the castle.'

'Oh, that's really nice, Ron,' I said. 'She's already sensitive about her appearance. Let's just go and ask her how she died and if she knows what killed her. I'm sure that'll make her perk right up.'

'D'you have any better ideas?' countered Ron. I sighed and shook my head and went back to my breakfast.

The bell for lessons soon sounded and Professor McGonagall arrived to escort the Ravenclaw second-years and us to our Transfiguration lesson. Harry, Ron and I followed at the back of the group as we tried to think of a way to somehow to get to Myrtle's bathroom. With the teachers on high alert it was going to be no easy task. Professor McGonagall marched us quickly through the castle and out into the Transfiguration Courtyard. She opened the door to her classroom and we filed inside. Once again the sight of Hermione's empty seat was saddening to see but at least this time we were that little bit closer to finding out what attacked her. As soon as we got to Myrtle, we'd hopefully find out what the monster was.

All thoughts of getting to Myrtle were soon put out of our heads when Professor McGonagall announced that exams would start at the beginning of June meaning they were a week away. There was an outburst at the idea that we were still getting exams in amongst all the attacks in the castle, interrupted only by Neville dropping his wand and accidentally Vanishing his table's leg. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand then turned to us, a very serious look on her face.

'The whole point of keeping the school open at this time if for you to receive your education,' she said sternly. 'The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all revising hard. Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible and that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year.'

I stared at Professor McGonagall. While I knew I shouldn't be surprised at the fact exams were going ahead, so far I had done absolutely nothing to prepare myself for them. Nor had Harry or Ron. Without Hermione reminding us about them constantly like she did last year we hadn't even thought about them. Now I somehow had to fit a year's worth of schoolwork on several different subjects all into a week's worth of revision. How I was going to do it, I had no idea.

This wasn't the only announcement Professor McGonagall had for us in the coming week. At breakfast on Thursday she called for hush in the Great Hall so that she could address the whole school. Slowly the students fell silent but not with the same speed they would have done if it had been Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and I shared a look as we waited for Professor McGonagall to speak. The odd whisper could still be heard as people whispered to their friends in confusion, wondering what the announcement could be.

'I have good news,' said Professor McGonagall.

The silence was broken by several shouts from around the Hall.

'Dumbledore's coming back!'

'You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!'

'Quidditch matches are back on!' shouted Wood a few seats up from us. I rolled my eyes; some things never changed.

Professor McGonagall waited for silence again before she continued.

'Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last,' said Professor McGonagall told us. 'Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit.'

Cheers rang through the Hall. The idea that Hermione, Justin and Penelope being returned to normal was certainly good news for all the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Unsurprisingly the Slytherins didn't seem to join in. Malfoy in particular looked relatively peeved by the news. Having been one of the Heir's most vocal supporters I guess the thought that the Heir had failed this time around was very disappointing for him.

'It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!' said Ron happily to Harry and me. 'Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go mad when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't revised. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over.'

'I think even Hermione won't punish herself for not doing well in exams this year, considering she's been Petrified for the last few months,' I reasoned. 'I know she's a bit of a obsessive when it comes to schoolwork but even she can't deny how much she'll have missed.'

Just then Ginny came and joined us, taking the empty seat next to me that would have been filed by Hermione. I glanced at her to see she looked nervous about something. Her eyes were focused on her hands in her lap and were fidgeting with each other.

'What's up?' asked Ron. Ginny didn't reply. She looked up and down the Gryffindor table as if to make sure no one was watching us. I frowned, confused by her behaviour. It too was frustrating Ron. 'Spit it out.'

'I've got to tell you something,' mumbled Ginny. She kept her eyes firmly on her lap.

'What is it?' asked Harry.

I watched as Ginny struggled to come up with a reply.

' _What?_ ' demanded Ron.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Harry leaned in closer to her.

'Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets?' he whispered. I raised my eyebrow. Did Harry know something? 'Have you see something? Someone acting oddly?'

Ginny took a breath, only to be cut off by Percy appearing beside us and saying, 'If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty.'

Ginny jumped up as if she'd been electrocuted. Her eyes had widened in fear at the sight of her brother. Without even a word she hurried up the aisle and out of the Hall. In her haste, however, Ginny's hand had brushed my arm making contact with it. I flinched as a sudden rush of images flashed over my eyes.

 _The library with Hermione … the page on the Basilisk … Hermione Petrified … Ginny in the corridor … the rooster feathers on her bed …_

I gasped. I looked at the boys but neither of them had noticed, as both seemed to be berating Percy for interrupting what Ginny was about to tell us. Ginny didn't need to though. All of a sudden that feeling I'd had of something not making sense since the attack on Hermione had become clear. It was as if my memories of that day had been altered but they were now clear as if they'd happened yesterday. I had seen Ginny in the corridor when Hermione was attacked as we had worked out that it was a Basilisk attacking the students, and Ginny was behind it all as she had had rooster feathers all over her bed and there weren't any spiders visible in her dormitory. She had looked strange though, like she was being possessed, so I had a feeling she wasn't acting of her own free will. Without warning to Harry and Ron, I got up and dashed after Ginny. I had to find her before whatever it was making her do these things got control of her again and someone else got hurt. I raced up the Marble Staircase and towards the Changing Staircase to see Ginny was already on the fourth floor. She must be heading back to the Gryffindor Tower.

I ran up the Staircase as fast as I could after her. I reached the Tower minutes after her, almost shouting the password at the Fat Lady so that I could get inside. I ran across the common room and upstairs to her dormitory. I burst in without knocking to find Ginny crying on her bed.

I took a deep breath and said it.

'Ginny, I know it's you.'

Ginny sat up suddenly. She stared at me shocked, her face stained with tears.

'How?' she gasped.

'The rooster feathers,' I said, 'the fact that you're really jumpy all the time even more so than everyone else, that there isn't a single spider in this room. Why didn't you tell us?'

'Because I couldn't!' cried Ginny. 'I didn't know! I didn't know I was the one attacking those people! I didn't want to do it! I didn't want to attack them! I didn't want to write that message on the wall! Riddle made me do those things!'

'Riddle?' I repeated. It then hit me. 'Tom Riddle? You stole the diary back from Harry! Why? What does that diary do?'

Ginny didn't answer. She had stopped crying and her head was bowed. I took a cautious step towards her. Ginny looked up. I jumped. Her eyes had changed again, back to those empty black ones with dark shadows beneath them. Slowly Ginny stood up and walked towards me. She seemed to be in some sort of trance.

'Ginny?' I said worriedly. 'Ginny, are you OK?'

' _You know too much_ ,' said Ginny. Her voice had changed as well, back to the one she'd had in the corridor. ' _I won't allow that_.'

Ginny ran at me and forced me against the door. I fought back as she tried to grab at my throat doing my best not to hurt her by accident. Ginny managed to force my hands away long enough to get her own around my throat. She pressed down on it making me choke. I tried to pull her off but her grip was too tight for how small she was, again indicating someone else was helping her. I gasped as I fought to get air into my lungs. My eyes started to darken and I felt Ginny's hands release me followed by my head connecting with the floor.

'I'm sorry … I'm so sorry …'

Blearily I opened my eyes. I turned my head to see I was lying on a cold, wet, stone floor. I sat up and looked around. I was in a long chamber of sorts, a stone walkway travelling away from me into the distance. Either side was lined with what looked like snake heads also made of stone and channels filled with water. Behind me I saw a large statue of a head emerging from another deeper pool of water. Its face was just visible above the water level, its stone beard flaring out on either side of his tight-lipped mouth. The stone pathway circled around it on either side. Where was I? I heard a muffled sob behind me. I looked round to see Ginny was sitting against one of the many snakehead pillars. She was muttering something.

'I'm sorry, Jenna, I'm so sorry …'

I got up. I felt my neck twinge, still sore from when Ginny attacked me. I walked over to her.

'Ginny, where are we?' I asked her quickly. 'What did you do? We need to get out of here!'

Ginny didn't answer. All she did was point at something behind me. I turned round. From the shadows beside the statue of the head stepped a young boy of about sixteen. He was dressed in Hogwarts robes in a different, older style to my own but I could recognise the Slytherin House tie anywhere and the Prefect badge pinned on his robes. Slowly he walked towards me, his dark eyes focused on me. I watched not daring to look away. I drew my wand and levelled it with him. I didn't know what to do though. The closer the boy got to me the better look I got of him. There was something strange about his body. He appeared solid but at the same time he looked like he was blurred around the edges, as if he wasn't entirely there.

'Who are you?' I asked.

'A mere memory,' replied the boy, 'brought to life by the silly ramblings of an eleven-year-old witch.' Ginny let out a sob. 'Her childish thoughts and dreams making me stronger the more she wrote, allowing me to slowly begin to control her as she grew weaker. You might know me as another name these days, however, it is not my given one you learnt of this year.'

'You're Tom Riddle, aren't you?' I said slowly. Riddle smiled. 'You're the one behind all those attacks. But why?'

'Yes,' said Riddle. 'I must say, you were very clever to work out who it was I was getting to do my bidding and what the monster inside the Chamber was. Your knowledge of magical creatures is impressive. You were a threat though. I couldn't let you blab so I attacked that Mudblood friend of yours to buy me some more time.' Riddle began to pace, his eyes not leaving me. 'I made Ginny alter your memories of that day so that it would look like you merely found the Mudblood in the corridor but it appears I underestimated you.

'When you confronted Ginny, I realised changing your memory wasn't enough and so I had to do something about it,' continued Riddle. 'You could have told Harry Potter at any moment what was going on, and with the Mandrake Draft almost ready, I was running out of time, so I ordered Ginny to subdue you and bring you here, to the Chamber of Secrets. I even got her to write your farewells on the wall before having her join you down here.

'As for why I attacked those Mudbloods, isn't it obvious?' Riddle smirked.

'You're the Heir of Slytherin,' I said. 'But, that was fifty years ago. How could you be back?'

'As a memory in a diary,' said Riddle simply, 'preserved until I could one day return to Hogwarts and finish my ancestor's work. Finish Salazar Slytherin's quest to rid Hogwarts of all those unworthy to study magic.'

'If you wanted to do that, then why did you use Ginny?' I asked. 'She's just a first-year. Why not use someone from your own House, from Slytherin?'

'Who I used was is of no concern to me,' sneered Riddle. 'My diary was passed on to her possession and the rest was all done by her. She was naive enough to write her deepest and darkest thoughts into my diary which only made me stronger until I was able to control her. Make her write the threatening messages on the walls, strangle that oaf Hagrid's roosters, and attack the Mudbloods and the Squib's cat. Eventually the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it.'

'And Harry found it,' I said. 'That was when you showed him your memory of you framing Hagrid the last time the Chamber was opened. And when she realised Harry had it, she stole it back giving you control over her once more.'

To my confusion, a smile appeared on Riddle's face.

'My, my, you are a curious little witch,' observed Riddle. 'I'll admit I am impressed. You were able to work out what was attacking the Mudbloods and who was behind it with very little help, using only what knowledge you already had.' His dark eyes roved me from head to toe, a curious look on his face. It was almost like a child examining a new toy. 'A curious witch you are, indeed,' Riddle mused. 'I can see you are talented but you don't know the full potential of your power. You would be valuable, I can tell.'

'You're just a memory,' I retorted. 'You haven't succeeded in killing anyone and soon everyone who was Petrified will be back to normal. What real power could you possibly have?'

'Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore,' sneered Riddle. 'For many months, I have been learning all about that friend of yours, Harry Potter. Ginny spoke a lot about him in her entries, The Boy Who Lived. How intriguing it was to hear his story, defeating the greatest wizard of all time when he was a mere infant. As for what power I have? Power enough to make wizards everywhere fear the very mention of my name.'

'There's only one wizard whose name people fear to speak,' I said, 'but Voldemort was after you. Harry defeated him when he tried to kill him as a baby.'

'Voldemort _is_ my past, present and future,' snarled Riddle.

Riddle produced a wand from the pocket of his robes that I knew belonged to Ginny. He began to write with it, creating fiery letters that floated in the air.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Riddle gave the wand a sharp wave and the letters rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

'Did you really think I'd keep my filthy Muggle father's name when I am the descendant of the greatest sorcerer in the world?' spat Riddle. 'Keep the name of the foul, common Muggle who abandoned me before I was born because his wife was a witch? I fashioned the name at school, knowing one day wizards and Mudbloods alike would one day fear the very mention of me.'

'You were defeated,' I said firmly. 'Harry stopped you once before, and he'll stop you this time as well. He'll work out you killed Myrtle last time and find the entrance to the Chamber and will stop you and the Basilisk from killing anyone else.'

Riddle smirked, 'That's what I'm counting on. You see, you and Ginny here make very good … bargaining tools.'

My eyes widened. I didn't need him to say anything more. He was using Ginny and me as bait to lure Harry down here. That's what he meant when he said he'd gotten Ginny to write our farewells on the wall. I took a slow step back from Ginny.

'If Harry Potter was devastated when his Mudblood friend was attacked, imagine how he'd feel at the sight of his best friend's dead sister and his childhood friend?'

Riddle turned to face the stone head behind him. He raised his hand, his eyes focused upon the eyes of the face. And he spoke in a low hiss I knew to be Parseltongue.

' _I command you to open and reveal the horror within you_.'

I watched as the mouth of the stone face began to open. A loud rumbling hiss came from within. Riddle had called the Basilisk.

'Riddle, please!' shouted Ginny. 'Don't hurt her!'

'Silence!' Riddle snarled at her.

In the moment's distraction I made a run for it. If Harry was on his way like I had a feeling he would be, I had to get to him first and warn him of Riddle's plan. As much as I didn't want to abandon Ginny I knew Riddle wouldn't harm her as long as he needed her. I ran up the stone walkway as fast as I could, my footsteps echoing in the vast Chamber. Behind me I could hear the Basilisk emerging from its slumber inside the statue's mouth.

'You can run,' I heard Riddle say, 'but you can't hide from the Basilisk.'

The Basilisk let out a loud hiss. I sped up, not daring to stop to catch my already struggling breath. The sound of the Basilisk slithering along the stone behind me as it followed the sound of my footsteps splashing in the water was getting closer and closer. Suddenly I felt my foot twist beneath me as I slipped on an uneven stone. I fell to the ground. The Basilisk roared having heard my fall. I sat up and instinctively looked behind me –

I felt a hard thump on my chest. A rush of water suddenly went up my throat causing me to cough it up. I turned over from my back so I was holding myself up on my arms, coughing up the water I'd apparently swallowed. I was soaked. My loose wet hair from my braid was sticking to my face while my robes were sodden. I blinked the water trickling down from my hair out of my eyes.

'Jenna, are you all right?'

I looked up to see Harry kneeling beside me. He looked worried as he stared at me. His face was covered in dirt and cuts and his robes were torn and bloodstained. On his arm I saw a hole in his sleeve that looked like it had been burnt away by something acidic. Despite his beaten up appearance I was very glad to see him. Beside him I was shocked to see a creature I'd only ever read about in Muggle stories and in _Fantastic Beasts_. A large beautiful bird with gold and red plumage stood next to him, its black beady eyes watching us both. It let out a single note and I felt a wave of relief suddenly rush over me. Finally my eyes landed on Ginny. She was fully conscious now and looked a lot better than she had all year, her face back to its normal colour although her red hair had been stained black by what looked like ink.

'What happened?' I asked.

'Riddle had taken you and Ginny here to the Chamber of Secrets,' said Harry. 'Ron and I found Riddle's message on the wall after we visited Hermione in the Hospital Wing. We went to tell Lockhart, who the teachers thought knew where the entrance to the Chamber was, what we knew only to find out he's a fraud and to see him attempting to leave the castle. We forced him to come with us to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where we found the entrance to the Chamber and to help us find you and Ginny. When he tried to attack us, he used Ron's wand but the spell he did backfired on him causing a cave-in in the tunnel. I had to leave Ron with him back at the opening of the tunnel while I came down here to find you both.

'When I got here you and Ginny were both unconscious. I confronted Riddle and he told me about how he was the Heir of Slytherin and became Lord Voldemort, deciding he wanted to kill me instead of the Muggle-borns when Ginny told him about me. He released the Basilisk and I fought it off with the help of Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, which gave me a sword. I stabbed it through the head and one of its fangs stabbed my arm. Before the poison could kill me though Fawkes healed me with his tears and I stabbed the diary with it and Riddle was destroyed and Ginny woke up. With Riddle gone, the spell holding you stopped and you fell into the water. I grabbed you before you could drown.'

I stared at Harry with wide eyes when he'd finished. I hadn't missed much, had I?

'Come on,' Harry then said to both Ginny and me, 'let's get out of here –'

'I'm going to be expelled!' cried Ginny. Harry helped her to her feet before also helping me. 'I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and – _w-what'll Mum and Dad say_?'

'It'll be OK, Ginny,' said Harry. Slowly the three of us made our way back up the Chamber and towards a large door at its opening where I saw the phoenix – Fawkes, I believe Harry said his name was – was waiting for us. 'Professor Dumbledore will sort everything out. You weren't responsible for what happened, Riddle was.'

Ginny sniffed and nodded. We walked the rest of the way in silence up the next tunnel until a stone wall blocked our way. I could hear the noise of rocks shifting on the other side. Harry called out and I heard Ron's voice answer. An arm suddenly thrust through a gap that had been made in the wall. Harry urged Ginny forwards and she took hold of her brother's hand as he helped her through the hole. I went next, Harry helping me to crawl through before doing so himself. Fawkes swept through last. When Ron tried to question Harry about the sword he was carrying Harry dismissed it until we were out of the Chamber completely. We followed the strange glow of Fawkes' feathers up the next tunnel and to the mouth of what looked like a very deep pipe. Sat against the wall with a rather vacant smile on his face and humming to himself was Lockhart.

'His memory's gone,' said Ron. 'The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself.'

Lockhart looked up at us. He beamed his usual smile only this time it looked more good-natured rather than smug.

'Hello,' he said lightly. 'Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?'

'No,' said Ron. He sent Harry and I a look, giving his eyebrows a lift. Harry shrugged then proceeded to look up the tunnel.

'Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?' Harry asked.

Ron shook his head. A rush of air blew past me as Fawkes flew over to Harry to float in front of him. He waved his tail.

'He looks like he wants you to grab hold …' said Ron, confused.

'Fawkes isn't an ordinary bird,' said Harry.

'He's a phoenix,' I said. 'Phoenixes are one of the strongest magical creatures, both in magic and physical strength. They can carry things more than a hundred times it's own weight. I guess Fawkes wants to carry us out of the pipe.'

'We've got to hold on to each other,' Harry said. 'Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Jenna, you hold on to Ron. Professor Lockhart –'

'He means you,' Ron said sharply to Lockhart.

'You hold Ginny's other hand.'

Lockhart nodded dumbly. I rolled my eyes, unable to believe Lockhart was now the airhead I always thought him to be. Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt then took hold of my hand in one and Fawkes's tail in the other. With a single flap of his wings, Fawkes shot upwards and I felt my feet leave the solid ground beneath us. A strange feeling travelled through Harry into me and on into Ron. I felt almost weightless as we flew up the long pipe.

'Amazing!' cried Lockhart. 'Amazing! This is just like magic!'

In a matter of seconds we flew out through the opening to the pipe in the middle of the sinks in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Fawkes hovered a few feet off the ground and Harry let go of his tail. The five us of us dropped lightly on to the stone floor. The lightness ebbed away. A sound of movement from the opposite side of the bathroom approached us. Moaning Myrtle swooped out of her toilet having heard our arrival back in her bathroom. She stared at us.

'You're alive,' she said blankly.

'There's no need to sound so disappointed,' said Harry.

'Oh, well … I'd just been thinking,' muttered Myrtle, 'if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet.'

I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

'Urgh!' said Ron, voicing his disapproval. We quickly left the bathroom and followed Fawkes through the deserted castle. 'Harry! I think Myrtle's got _fond_ of you! You've got competition, Ginny!'

Ginny didn't hear Ron's comment as she was still crying from the ordeal. Wondering what to do next we continued to follow Fawkes until he stopped in front of an office on the first floor. I recognised it to belong to Professor McGonagall. Harry knocked on the door and pushed it open. For a moment there was silence as the people gathered in the office took in the sight of the five of us all in dirty and variously ripped robes. It was then broken by a rather familiar scream.

' _Ginny!_ '

Mrs Weasley leapt from the chair she was sat in in front of Professor McGonagall's desk and flung her arms around her daughter. Mr Weasley followed suit, embracing both his wife and daughter with a look of relief on his face. I took a step backwards as Mrs Weasley proceeded to sweep Harry and Ron into her embrace as well. I still wasn't used to the kindness of other adults apart from Lupin and my Granddad. I looked round the office for him only to see he wasn't there. I mentally checked the dates and realised the next full moon was at the start of June, meaning he was probably already feeling the effects of it and so was unable to travel. I felt my spirit fall slightly at the fact he wasn't there.

'You saved her!' Mrs Weasley was crying. 'You saved her! _How_ did you do it?'

'I think we'd all like to know that,' said Professor McGonagall.

She and Professor Dumbledore were both on their feet on the other side of her desk and both were watching us with a look of great interest. Once Mrs Weasley had released Harry from her embrace, Harry placed the sword on to Professor McGonagall's desk and the remains of what looked like Tom Riddle's diary. He then began to recount the entire events of the last year and the previous few hours and about how he and Ron had gone into the Chamber to rescue Ginny and me. As he spoke, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Professor Dumbledore was watching me with a strange look upon his face. His blue eyes were twinkling with curiosity. Mrs Weasley was in tears when Harry had finished.

'Very well,' said Professor McGonagall, when Harry took a moment to catch his breath, 'so you found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add –' I cringed, knowing she was right, '– but how on _earth_ did you all get out of there alive, Potter?'

As Harry explained about what happened inside the Chamber itself, I looked away as a thought crossed my mind. I thought back to my conversation with Riddle where he had called the Basilisk to him. I remembered running from it and falling over on the cobble stone floor. I could hear the Basilisk approaching me but after that my mind seemed to go blank. The next think I remember was Harry thumping my chest with his fist to bring up the water I'd swallowed from nearly drowning in the deep pool by the statue. What happened when I looked round after tripping up was blank.

Harry stopped, making me look up at him. He looked nervous about continuing.

'What interests _me_ most,' said Professor Dumbledore, 'is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania.'

'W-what's that?' stuttered Mr Weasley, shocked. ' _You-Know-Who?_ En-enchant _Ginny_? But Ginny's not … Ginny hasn't been … has she?'

'It was the diary,' said Harry quickly. He showed it to Dumbledore. 'Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen.'

Dumbledore looked at the diary, turning it over in his hands. I saw the fang mark in the front which had burnt through the cover and pages.

'Brilliant,' he said lightly. 'Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Howards has ever seen.'

I raised my eyebrow in surprise at Dumbledore's comment. Everyone present shared my look of surprise.

'Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle,' explained Dumbledore. 'I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school … travelled far and wide … sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who once was Head Boy here.'

'But Ginny,' cried Mrs Weasley, 'what's our Ginny got to do with – with – _him_?'

'His d-diary!' burst Ginny, no longer able to hold herself. 'I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year –'

' _Ginny!_ ' reprimanded Mr Weasley. 'Haven't I taught you _anything_? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself _if you can't see where it keeps its brain_.'

 _Interesting advice_ , I thought. Mr Weasley certainly was a smart wizard.

'Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was _clearly_ full of Dark Magic!'

'I d-didn't know,' sobbed Ginny. 'I found it inside one of my books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it …'

'Miss Weasley should go up to the Hospital Wing straight away,' interrupted Dumbledore. 'This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort.' Dumbledore walked over to the door and opened it. 'Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up,' he added. 'Miss Black shall accompany her though I will want to speak to her a bit later once she's had some time to recover. You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out the Mandrake juice – I dare say the Basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment.'

'So Hermione's OK?' said Ron. He, Harry and I beamed at that.

'There has been no lasting harm done,' confirmed Dumbledore.

'Come on, Ginny,' said Mrs Weasley. She was calmer now and her voice was back to its normal caring tones. 'Let's get you up to the Hospital Wing.'

She got up and ushered her daughter to the door. Mr Weasley shook hands with Dumbledore, thanking him profusely then followed. I hesitated at first, not wanting to intrude on their reunion, and looked at Harry and Ron for what to do. Harry smiled and nodded his head at the door to tell me to go with them. I made to say something when I suddenly felt an arm go round me and gently push me forwards.

'Come along, Jenna, dear,' said Mrs Weasley gently to me. 'The boys will be all right.'

I felt uncomfortable as Mrs Weasley urged me onwards down the corridor to walk alongside her, her husband and Ginny. We walked along in silence until Ginny stopped suddenly and turned to me.

'Thank you for trying to help me, Jenna,' she said quietly. I gave her a curious look. I could feel Mr and Mrs Weasley watching us as well. 'I'm sorry I strangled you and took you down there.'

'It's all right, Ginny,' I said gently. 'You didn't mean to do those things. Riddle wanted me out of the way because I knew to much, that's all. I'm just glad you're OK and everyone in the Hospital Wing is going to be all right as well.'

'But I –'

'But nothing,' I told her firmly. 'It's what friends do.'

Ginny looked at me. Slowly a small smile formed on her face. I smiled back.

'I think,' said Mrs Weasley, gently stroking her daughter's face, 'what the two of you need is a good night's rest.'

'I think I'll just go back to the Tower,' I replied, 'I'm OK, really.'

'Nonsense, dear,' said Mrs Weasley. She smiled at me. 'You've both been through quite a bit tonight. A bit of sleep and a cup of hot chocolate and you'll both feel much better.'

As much as I felt an intruder in the Weasley's happy reunion with their daughter I didn't have the heart to argue with her. Mrs Weasley, despite the temper on her, was one of the kindest witches I'd ever met though I'd learnt from Ron's Howler at the start of the year never to get on her bad side. She and her husband led us to the Hospital Wing and opened the door for us to go inside. I saw to my joy that each of the Petrified students were no longer lying rigid in their beds. Colin was grinning from ear-to-ear as he chatted animatedly to Justin who was in the bed beside him while Penelope was in conversation with a newly revived Nearly Headless Nick. Opposite them I saw Madam Pomfrey hand Hermione a mug of hot chocolate who looked as bright and cheerful as ever.

'Hermione!' I shouted. I ran over to her bed and gave her a hug that she happily returned. 'I'm so glad you're OK. I was so scared when you got attacked.'

We let go of each other. Hermione instantly asked me about the Heir.

'He's gone,' I told her. 'Harry and Ron found the piece of paper you'd taken from the book about the Basilisk and realised that the entrance to the Chamber was in Moaning Myrtle's and that she was the one who was killed last time thanks to Aragog, Hagrid's old pet spider who now lives in the Forest.'

'But who was it?' asked Hermione. 'Who was behind the attacks?'

I glanced across the room at Ginny. Madam Pomfrey was handing her a potion to help her regain her strength as well as a mug of hot chocolate.

'It was Voldemort,' I said in a lower voice. Hermione gasped. 'But not as we know him. It was his younger self from when he was at school here, and he was controlling Ginny to commit the attacks. She had somehow gotten hold of his diary and had been writing in it all year. She had no idea though so Professor Dumbledore's not going to punish her.'

'Oh, how terrible,' said Hermione, 'but I'm glad to hear Ginny isn't being held responsible. Oh, I'm so glad you, Harry and Ron solved it.'

'The boys solved it,' I said, 'we just helped, especially you. Realising what was in the Chamber in the first place.'

'We _both_ found it,' corrected Hermione. 'You realised what kind of snake it was after all.'

I shrugged, then said, 'When will you be let out?'

Before Hermione could answer, the doors to the Hospital Wing opened again. Professor McGonagall walked in with what look almost like a smile on her face. She announced that Professor Dumbledore had decided that a celebratory feast was in order now that the dreadful of the events of the past year had been put to an end now that the Heir had been caught. We were to join the rest of the students in the Great Hall once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied that we were all in good health and recovered from our various injuries. An excited whisper started on the opposite side of the room as Colin, Justin and Penelope began to question who the Heir had been and what had stopped them. Hermione and I merely looked at each other, Hermione's eyebrow raised in amusement while I had the beginnings of a smirk on my lips. Despite the fact what had happened this year had been horrific and very dangerous, the two of us couldn't help but be amused as we listened to their wild theories of what really had happened.

Madam Pomfrey was reluctant to let us all go but she couldn't deny there was nothing truly wrong with any of us. Those who were Petrified were all back to normal while both Ginny and I were feeling a lot better having had a Restorative Draft and she had Vanished the bruises on my neck from when Ginny had attacked me. With a exasperated sigh and shrug of her shoulders Madam Pomfrey let us go. Professor McGonagall, however, stopped me before I could leave with Hermione and Ginny. She informed me that Professor Dumbledore wished to have a word with me before the feast and so was to wait here for him as he was still talking to Harry and Ron currently.

'You go on,' I told Hermione and Ginny. 'Save me a seat.'

Hermione and Ginny nodded and left the Hospital Wing.

I waited alone in the Hospital Wing for Professor Dumbledore. I wondered what he wanted to speak to me about. Harry had told them all what had happened. I didn't see how recounting what had happened to me when I confronted Ginny and ended up in the Chamber with her was going to make much of a difference. Still, Dumbledore had wanted to speak to me and so I had no choice but to wait for him to arrive and answer any questions he had. I wasn't sure how long I was waiting for but shortly after the others had gone, Professor Dumbledore swept into the Hospital Wing.

'Ah, Miss Black, you are looking much better now,' said Dumbledore lightly, his blue eyes peering at me through his glasses. I nodded to confirm I was. 'Now, as I'm sure you are eager to rejoin your friends down in the Great Hall for the feast, I shall make this brief.'

I nodded again, waiting for ask me whatever it was he wanted to know. To my surprise, Dumbledore produced his wand and a small phial from his robes. Like him, I noticed his wand looked very old, and designed with several carvings in the wood of what looked like berries of some sort running down its long length.

'What I require of you, Miss Black, is a memory,' Professor Dumbledore told me. I frowned, confused. 'If I may, I wish to extract your memory of tonight's events so as to examine Riddle's actions down in the Chamber before Mr Potter arrived to save you and Miss Weasley.'

I opened my mouth to reply but I didn't really have a response to his request. I didn't even know memories could be extracted for a person.

'You don't need to worry,' Professor Dumbledore said, seeing my reaction. 'The extraction of a memory doesn't hurt and I can assure you that no one but myself will see it.'

'Um, I guess,' I said. 'I mean, Harry's told you everything that happened so I don't know what use it'll be to you, Professor.'

'Memories are powerful things, Miss Black,' said Dumbledore. 'A single memory can tell us more about a person than simply knowing them can. Now, it is best you keep as still as possible while I extract the memory from you.'

Dumbledore raised his wand towards me. I hesitated but allowed him to touch the tip to my temple. I felt a strange twinge pass through from his wand. Dumbledore slowly pulled the tip away from me. I glanced out of the corner of my eye. A strange silvery strand was pulled from the point where Dumbledore's wand had touched me and was connected to the tip. I couldn't tell what exactly it was made of but it looked like it was made of very fine wisps of a hair-like substance. Dumbledore gave his wand a small jerk and the memory disconnected from my temple. He then fed it into the phial into his hand. He tapped his wand and it fell into the bottle becoming a substance that was neither liquid nor gas.

'Is that my memory?' I asked. 'Will I still remember it too?'

'Yes, and do not worry, you will still be able to remember it as I have only made a copy of it,' said Dumbledore. In the distance the Clock Tower bell rang out. 'Ah, the rest of the school should be awake by now and down in the Great Hall. I believe Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and the newly revived Miss Granger are all waiting for you.'

I had been to a fair few feasts at Hogwarts during my two years here so far but none as big as this one. When I reached the Great Hall I saw the entire school had been woken and were dressed in their pyjamas. There were whispers going around the room as people tried to guess why they were there in the middle of the night. In amongst the tables I saw the various people who had been Petrified happily reunited with their friends. Ernie had his arm round Justin's shoulders; Colin, back with his camera, was sitting with Ginny and the other Gryffindor first-years; and Penelope was having a deep conversation with Percy; Filch had Mrs Norris in his arms showing her more affection than he'd ever dare show in front of students normally; even Nearly Headless Nick could be seen floating around with the other House ghosts. I walked down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables until I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting together. I beamed when I saw them together again and ran the rest of the way over to them. Harry stood up when he saw me. I threw my arms around him glad he was all right.

'Thank you,' I whispered to him as we hugged.

'It's OK,' Harry whispered back. 'I'm glad you're safe.'

A hush spread over the Hall. I saw Dumbledore had stood up and had his hand raised for the students to quieten. I took a seat next to Harry and we turned to listen to Dumbledore's speech.

'I'd like to have your attention for a few minutes before we begin the feast,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'It is with great relief that I can announce that the Heir of Slytherin has been stopped and the Chamber of Secrets closed once more, never to be opened again.'

A shocked whisper went round the students. Some called out demanding to know who had been behind the attacks. Over at the Slytherin table, several of the students including Malfoy were looking rather disappointed by this news. I glanced down the table at Ginny to see she had shrank back slightly in her seat. She had no need to worry though, as Dumbledore put an end to the curiosity that had plagued the school all year.

'I am sure you are all eager to know who was behind the attacks,' said Dumbledore, holding his hand up again to call for silence, 'and I feel that you have the right to know. The Heir of Slytherin was a boy named Tom Riddle, only this time he chose to use another to carry out his wishes, so that he could once again regain his current form of Lord Voldemort.'

Shouts and gasps at this news broke the silence once more.

'I can assure you,' Dumbledore continued, loud enough to be heard over the questions of the students, 'that Lord Voldemort is not in the country and it was through one of his old school possessions that he was able to re-open the Chamber. But thanks to the actions of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, he has been stopped and the Chamber has been closed for good.'

I looked around as the school cheered for Harry and Ron. The Gryffindors clapped loudest out of all the Houses as once again Harry was proclaimed a hero for his actions. He and Ron were even awarded two hundred points each for stopping the Heir as well as awards for services to the school. The four of us shared a grin of joy.

'I would like us to give a round of applause to Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey,' said Professor Dumbledore, 'whose Mandrake Draft has successfully restored all the students who were Petrified. It is also, with regret, that I must inform you that Professor Lockhart has chosen not to return next year as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher owing to the fact he needed to go away and get his memory back.'

'Shame,' smirked Ron. 'He was starting to grow on me.'

Harry and I laughed while Hermione looked genuinely disappointed about it.

'I shall now hand you over to Professor McGonagall, who has one final announcement to make.'

Professor Dumbledore sat down in his chair as Professor McGonagall stood from hers.

'In light of recent events,' said Professor McGonagall, 'as a school treat, the Headmaster has decided that all school exams shall be cancelled.'

Ending on that happy note (apart for Hermione, of course) the feast began. It lasted long into the night as the students celebrated the return of their friends and the fact they didn't have any exams to sit in the coming weeks before school ended. At about half past there in the morning, the doors of the Great Hall swung open. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I looked up from our desserts to see who it was. Smiles broke out on all our faces when we saw it was Hagrid. He came striding up the middle aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, looking heartily relieved to no longer be in Azkaban.

'Sorry I'm late,' he said loudly. 'The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol.'

Ron's face went as red as his hair and he buried it into his hands.

Things were back to normal for the remainder of the summer term. Lessons continued apart from Defence Against the Dark Arts that had been cancelled due to Lockhart being incapacitated. For the most part the school was in good spirits as the warm weather and the lack of exams made up for the mostly dismal year. Ginny was back to her usual cheerful self and looked a lot better now that the threat had gone. As a bonus, Malfoy could no longer be seen strutting about the school and instead was keeping a very low profile after how vocal he'd been in his support for the Heir of Slytherin having discovered that it was in fact Voldemort's younger self. That and the fact it was rumoured round the school that Lucius Malfoy had been sacked from his position on the school governors' board.

On the last day of term Harry, Ron, Hermione and I got a carriage together to go down to Hogsmeade station to catch the Hogwarts Express back to London. On board the train we got a compartment together with Fred, George and Ginny. With only a few hours left before we could no longer use magic Fred and George took the advantage and set off the last of their Filibuster Fireworks while Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap before the four of them took turns in trying to Disarm each other. I saw Harry had quite a knack for it. The journey passed in a joyful blur and soon I could see London appearing in the distance.

'Ginny –' said Harry suddenly, 'what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?'

I looked at the boys curiously and then joined them in staring at Ginny.

'Oh, that,' giggled Ginny. 'Well – Percy's got a _girlfriend_.'

Fred dropped his stack of books on George's head.

' _What?_ '

'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was – you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added.

'Wouldn't dream of it,' said Fred. The look on his face said otherwise.

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. We gathered our stuff and got off the train. Before we separated Harry pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill and tore it into three. On each piece he wrote a series of digits I recognised to be a phone number. He explained what it was to Ron and told him to call over the summer so that he didn't have to endure only having Dudley to talk to for another holiday.

'Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?' asked Hermione. 'When they hear what you did this year?'

'Proud?' said Harry. 'Are you mad? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious.'

I rolled my eyes then looked around the platform. I couldn't see Lupin anywhere which I took to mean he'd been unable to pick me up. The four of us passed through the barrier with Ron's parents who'd greeted us when we got off the train and on to the Muggle side. I could see both Hermione's parents and the Dursleys waiting for Hermione and Harry but there was no sign of anyone there to pick me up. I frowned, unsure what to do. I said goodbye to Harry and Hermione and they left with their families. The Weasleys made to leave as well when Mrs Weasley noticed me still standing there with my trunk and owl.

'Is no one here for you, Jenna, dear?' Mrs Weasley asked me when she saw me standing on my own. 'Surely your parents are collecting you?'

I was about to answer when I heard my name being called. I looked round to see my Granddad striding up the Muggle platform towards us.

'Actually, my Granddad is,' I said as he reached us. 'Mrs Weasley, this is my Granddad, Lyall.'

'Nice to meet you, Lyall,' said Mrs Weasley. 'Are Jenna's parents not available to collect her?'

'Unfortunately not,' said Granddad. 'Jenna lives with my son, her uncle. Her parents were killed during the First Wizarding War.'

It sounded like Granddad was well versed in what to say when people asked about my parents. Though only partially true, Mrs Weasley bought it.

'Oh, that's a shame,' said Mrs Weasley, looking sympathetically at me. 'Well, I must say, she's a very responsible witch. She's been a very good friend to my daughter, Ginny, this year. You should be proud of her.'

'I can assure you, I am, as her mother would be too,' said Granddad.

Mrs Weasley smiled, said goodbye to me, and left with her husband and children.

'Is Lupin still ill from the full moon?' was my first question.

'Yes,' sighed Granddad, 'but he has had to leave for an appointment so he'll probably be very tired by the time he returns. I said I'd collect you so he had one less thing to worry about. You know what he's like.'

I nodded. Granddad took my trunk and together we left King's Cross Station.

* * *

 **AN: so Chamber of Secrets in finally finished once more and I'm looking forward to altering the events of Prisoner of Azkaban as Jenna becomes isolated from her friends when they find out that Sirius is her father. I've already begun thinking about it and am looking forward to exploring Jenna's time away from Harry more than I did last time including I hope some interactions with someone you wouldn't have thought would become her friend.**


	14. Blackened Blood

Chapter 13

Blackened Blood

It was late when Lupin finally returned to Moonlake from wherever he had been. Granddad had stayed with me until we heard the familiar _crack_ of Lupin Apparating into the front garden. We both rushed outside in time to catch Lupin as he stumbled towards the door. I saw he looked tired and ill, and the scars on his face were becoming more visible due to his paler skin. Together we got him inside and got him settled in a chair in the living room. Granddad vanished briefly into the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a cup of tea for Lupin. He took it gratefully and sipped the warm liquid with a sigh. Despite being visibly shattered, Lupin sat up enough to look at me.

'I'm sorry I didn't come collect you from the station,' said Lupin. 'While I haven't felt as ill this time, I didn't feel that I could face the crowds at the station.'

'That's OK,' I replied.

'So, how was school?' Lupin then asked. 'You didn't get any more detentions this year, I hope.'

'Well,' I said hesitantly, 'not exactly.'

Lupin eyed me suspiciously. His eyebrow arched and his moustache twitched.

'What did you do?' he asked. 'How many rules did you break this time?'

I didn't answer straight away and gave Lupin an innocent shrug. Lupin sighed, resting his head back against the chair. Granddad chuckled at his son's reaction.

'I only helped Harry, Ron and Hermione brew a Polyjuice Potion to try and find out who was opening the Chamber of Secrets then worked out who was behind it and got myself taken down to the Chamber where I met Tom Riddle and his Basilisk.'

Lupin looked at me, blinked, then let his head fall back on to the chair for a second time.

'I should have known when I heard about the attacks that you four would be involved in some way,' he muttered.

A part of me couldn't stop the smirk that graced my face at Lupin's reaction. I bit my lip to try and hide it, smiling nonetheless.

The full moon arrived the next day. Lupin remained in his bedroom all day having absolutely no energy to be able to get out of bed. When I poked my head around the door I saw him buried under his duvet. He hadn't touched the food I'd brought him, which never was a good sign. Lupin still needed to eat something even if he felt too ill to do so. I took the cold toast and orange juice away, noticing a goblet of strange potion with blue smoke coming from it beside his plate. I gave it a sniff and instantly wrinkled my nose. Whatever it was smelt disgusting. I made to take it away when a hand stopped mine.

'I need that,' muttered Lupin. 'It's the last dose for this month.'

'What is it?' I asked him.

'The Wolfsbane Potion,' said Lupin. 'It helps me.'

Lupin lost conscious again and fell asleep. His hand released mine. I left the potion where it was and took the other things and left the room so he could get a bit more rest before tonight.

Transforming again proved a bit of a challenge. Having spent a year away at Hogwarts during which time I hadn't transformed once, I had become rusty and so my first attempt at transforming into a wolf before the full moon that night was slow and stiff. I shook out my fur and tail once I was fully changed and stretched out my legs. It felt strange to be an animal once again but nice all the same. I twitched my ears having heard something moving upstairs. I padded through the living room into the hall and saw Lupin coming downstairs. He didn't notice me and went straight outside. Not wanting to see him in pain I waited inside until the familiar yells had stopped and I knew Moony was now waiting outside. I crossed the hallway and used my paw to pull open the door.

Moony was sitting on his back paws on the grass. He was staring up at the moon the same way Lupin would whenever he was waiting for it to appear. His ears twitched and he looked round. He must have heard the door close behind me. Moony looked at me with his brown eyes slowly recognising the wolf standing in front of him.

 _You have returned_ , said Moony. _I was beginning to wonder where you had gone._

 _I went travelling_ , I replied. I walked over to Moony and sat beside him. He was once again staring into the sky. _Wanted to see more of the countryside._

 _I find that hard to believe_ , snorted Moony, _considering you aren't really a wolf_.

I looked at Moony, confused. My ear instantly twitched up straight from its usually flopped over position.

 _What d'you mean_? I asked.

 _I mean you are the Lupin girl_ , said Moony. _You're the one my human takes care of, aren't you? The one who possesses the same magic as Tails_.

 _Whose Tails?_ I asked, confused.

 _Another form of my human's sister_ , replied Moony. _Better known by the name Hooves._

 _Hooves was my mother_ , I said nervously, _and no, I'm not a wolf._

Moony looked at me. His eyes wandered up and down me.

 _So Hooves had a family_ , said Moony. _My human's sister had a cub._

 _How did you know I wasn't a wolf?_ I asked, confused. _I never told you I wasn't one. How did you find out?_

 _My human began taking a potion_ , explained Moony, _a potion that began to ease the effects of the lycanthropy if it is taken in the week leading up to the full moon. It makes the sickness milder but he remains exhausted each time it approaches. But it is another effect that made him choose to take it._

 _What does it do?_

 _It allows him to keep his human mind_.

Moony got to his paws and walked off over to the gate and out of the garden. I followed. I vaulted the gate and trotted along to catch up to him. I matched his pace, taking two short strides for every one of his long ones.

 _You mean you know who I am?_ I persisted. _You know who you are?_

 _I know of my human life_ , replied Moony dismissively. _I have vague memories that I do not recognise, memories of my interactions with other humans and of events I do not recall myself. I can feel the things my human feels, much to my annoyance. I do not wish to be burdened with these human emotions, however, I respect the reason why he is taking the potion. I know what he thinks of being a werewolf._

 _Lupin's a good man_ , I said. Moony nodded.

 _As for you_ , Moony continued, _it was these memories that told me you weren't all that you seemed, as weren't the animals that I used to roam the forests with when I was younger. His human friends becoming animals just to help him and his sister part animal herself, just like you. You are important to the human and he doesn't want to see you get hurt. He was relieved when the investigation came back with no decision to take you away made_.

Moony fell quiet. We walked for a few minutes through the forest in silence before I braved asking him something I was scared to ask.

 _Do you not want to know these things?_ I asked.

 _I have no desire to know my human life_ , said Moony derisively. _My two lives and two forms are completely separate. I have no desire to have his memories just as he has no desire to have mine and represses them to avoid the guilt he'd feel remembering what he might have done or who he might have bitten. However, if it means I become less vicious, less dangerous, then I will accept that I will have to live with them while he takes the potion. Not all werewolves choose to live up to their reputations._

I wasn't sure how to take this news, that Moony was now aware of his human life and didn't like being burdened with it. From what I could gather from his behaviour, however, Moony was still his same old self even with the human side of him just more conscious now. He still walked with the same proud air and spoke with a certain abruptness in his words. The only thing that did seemed different was that he seemed glad that I was back, almost as if he'd been lonely while I had been at school. He didn't say it directly but I had the feeling it was implied as he didn't seem to ignore me that night as much as he used to.

The Wolfsbane Potion appeared to have its benefits both before the full moon and afterwards. Lupin's recovery normally took at least a week whereas this time he was back out of bed within three days of the transformation. I got up the following Tuesday surprised to see Lupin up making breakfast for us considering two days ago he could barely wake up. When I asked him how he was feeling Lupin told me he felt a bit tired but otherwise perfectly fine. I was glad to see that Lupin hadn't had any ill effects from this potion but he explained to me he had been using it for the past few months while I'd been at school to see if it was safe.

'It was on the recommendation of Felix Scamander,' Lupin told me. 'He was one of the men who interviewed you during the Christmas holidays. The Potioneer, Damocles Belby, created it a few years ago, but very few werewolves wanted to test it out due to the fact many distrust wizards as much as wizards distrust them. When it was finally tested, the results were positive and so he made it available for those affected with lycanthropy to buy it if they chose to. Felix recommended it to me as a way to help my case and it proved good advice when they interviewed me a few weeks after you.'

'So as long as you take the potion leading up to the full moon, you'll keep your own mind?' I asked.

'To a certain extent, yes,' confirmed Lupin. 'I retain memories and such although I remain wolfish in attitude, but I no longer feel the same lusts I would without it. If anything I become tame.'

I was intrigued by what Lupin had told me. I guess I'd just have to wait and see what Lupin would truly be like under this potion in the coming months when I am with him during the full moons.

The summer was warm and bright. It was one of the times I liked the fact I lived out in the middle of the countryside. The fields around our home were beautiful to look at in the summer sun and the nearby forest was full of life. Every morning I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise and every evening I watched the sun sink back down behind the hills with a warm reddish glow. I spent as much time in the garden I could to make the most of the summer weather knowing that in a short few weeks I'd be back at Hogwarts for my third year of school and so would be spending a lot of time back inside the castle having lessons. Having chosen Care of Magical Creatures as one of my new subjects, however, meant at least one of my classes was going to be out in the grounds.

Speaking of school, Hogwarts was not completely pushed from my mind over the holidays. The teachers had set us a mountain of homework to keep us occupied over the summer that I decided to start on as soon as possible so that I'd have the rest of the holidays to enjoy once it was all finished. I knew Hermione would not approve if I'd left it all to the last minute like some people might. As I sat doing my homework, I began to think about what my future classes might hold when I suddenly remembered that there was a vacancy going at Hogwarts, as once again the Defence Against the Dark Arts position was unfilled after Lockhart's forced resignation at the end of last year. In two years I'd had two different teachers for the subject both of which didn't last past the end of the year. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever find a permanent replacement.

My ponderings on the empty Defence Against the Dark Arts position were soon answered. On Monday morning when the post arrived, I saw a letter baring the Hogwarts crest on the back of it. Thinking it was a bit early to receive my third-year letter, I turned it over to see it was actually addressed to Lupin. Curious I handed it to him. Lupin opened the letter and read the contents. His eyes seemed to take on a confused look the more he read.

'What is it?' I asked.

'It's about the Defence Against the Dark Arts vacancy at the school,' said Lupin. His eyes were narrowed in thought while his voice echoed his surprise. 'They want me to take up the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'

'Lupin, that's amazing,' I said, beaming. 'You'd be brilliant as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. You know lots about that sort of thing and about Dark creatures. You'd be an amazing teacher.'

'Jenna,' Lupin held up his hand to stop me, 'I can't take the position.'

'Why not?'

Lupin looked at me as if I'd forgotten something very important.

'I don't somehow think parents would take kindly to having a werewolf teach their children,' said Lupin. He folded up the letter, put it back in the envelope, and put it down on the table. 'I cannot risk it.'

'Lupin, you haven't had a proper job in years,' I said. 'You can't keep doing those temp jobs forever.'

'I have very little option otherwise, Jenna,' said Lupin.

'But this is an opportunity you can't miss,' I insisted. 'Wasn't it Professor Dumbledore who gave you a chance when you were kid? Now he's doing it for you again. Maybe he already knows a way to keep your lycanthropy secret from the students and teachers. Maybe he's already figured it all out so you don't hurt anyone.'

I could see the doubt in Lupin's face about the idea of teaching students solidly for a whole year – maybe more if he was offered to do so – when he became incapacitated once a month. He frowned as he thought through what I'd said. I tried my best to convince him but Lupin said he wasn't going to make any rash decisions and that he would think it over before sending his response back to the school.

'You have a letter too, by the way,' Lupin said, handing me the other envelope that had been on the table.

I took it from him. Lupin picked up his letter and left the kitchen. I heard the door to his office close in the distance. I turned over my letter and slit it open. I unfolded the parchment inside it to see Ron's untidy scrawl written upon it. It was a letter warning me against trying to contact Harry. I was confused at first when I read the first line but when I looked at the rest of the letter I quickly saw the reason behind it. Ron had attempted to use the phone number that Harry had given to him, Hermione and myself back at King's Cross Station when we arrived back from Hogwarts. He'd gone to Mr Weasley for advice on how to use the telephone only to have it go terribly wrong. Harry's uncle had been the one to answer and, not realising he didn't need to shout down the phone to be heard, Ron had managed to enrage Harry's uncle by bellowing down the phone asking to speak to Harry and was a friend of his from school. I chuckled at the image of Ron shouting down a telephone and the response he'd got. Unsurprisingly Harry's uncle hung up on him with all existence of Harry denied. Ron hadn't attempted to contact him since.

The letter finished advising me to stick to Owl Post if I was planning on contacting Harry. Considering Lupin didn't own a phone, it was what I had planned to do anyway. Besides, if I knew Harry's uncle as well as I thought I did based on all the things Harry had told me about him over the years, and the angry-looking glimpses of him I used to catch at school, I didn't somehow think he'd take kindly to someone from our world having his home phone number so my copy of it had remained in my desk drawer since I'd gotten home.

When I wasn't doing my homework I was out in the garden practicing my transformations. Like the night of the full moon, it took a while for my body to get used to transforming again and I couldn't hold the forms as long as I would like to. Once my body had adjusted back to the feeling I went over all the previous animals I had transformed into the previous summer before using my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ to look for some different creatures to change into. With Lupin's help I began expanding the number of creatures I could create in my head from the pictures in the books and practicing moving as that animal using the equipment Lupin set up for me.

In my search for new things to transform into, I also began to branch out in what type of animal I chose. I had mainly covered land mammals up till now and so I felt it was time I started to learn how to transform into birds and fly as them or aquatic animals and how they swim. Lupin's knowledge of creatures became invaluable as he showed me detailed diagrams and passages about how the various mechanics of flying and swimming as animals worked before helping me put them into practice. There were one or two accidents when I was practicing, such as my crashing when I attempted to land as a sparrow and not being able to get the rhythm right for my paws as an otter in the water, which Lupin found highly amusing whereas I didn't. It's not that fun when you get your paws crossed. It took a while but I eventually managed a flight between the house and the platform Lupin had set up in the garden, landing almost perfectly on top of it, and swimming from one side of the river to the other without being washed away. I had made some good progress over the weeks though I still had a long way to go to be equal in skill to my Mum.

July passed me by and soon August arrived. The last week of July was busy for me as I had both Harry's birthday coming up and Lupin was starting to feel ill again as the full moon was due on the second of the month. In the week leading up to it, Lupin began taking the Wolfsbane Potion again which I saw did indeed postpone the sickness he normally felt when the full moon was due although his tiredness seemed to increase as a side-effect.

On the Thursday before the full moon, however, Lupin found that his supply had almost been completely used up and he hadn't been able to order anymore due to not having the gold for it. The Wolfsbane Potion was a complex one to brew and so he always ordered it rather than making it himself. Having only enough to last until the next day and being too tired to visit Diagon Alley himself, and with Granddad currently unavailable to accompany me as he was having a long weekend in Cornwall, Lupin reluctantly had to allow me to go by myself to get him a fresh order of the potion so that he could finish this month's dosage.

Needing to go to Diagon Alley for the Wolfsbane Potion actually worked out quite well for as it meant that I could buy Harry's birthday present while I was there as well. His birthday was on Saturday and I hadn't found anything to give him in the various papers that Lupin received in the post so I was hoping I'd find something in Diagon Alley despite how close I was cutting it to the day. Gizmo had been needing some exercise as well having not done any deliveries since term had ended and so a last minute delivery to Harry's house in Surrey would probably do him some good.

On Friday morning, after leaving a tray of food in Lupin's bedroom for him, I went downstairs and grabbed my coat and bag to head to Diagon Alley. I went into the living room and pulled out the pot of Floo Power Lupin kept in the dresser. I took a handful and walked over to the fireplace. Large emerald flames bloomed in the grate the moment I threw the glittery powder into it. It crackled loudly with a rush of heat warming my face.

' _Diagon Alley_ ,' I said clearly and I stepped into the fire.

Moonlake disappeared in a blur as I span through the Floo network. Seconds later I saw the familiar grate of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron and I swung myself round to go through it. My feet hit the stone floor. I brushed the soot from my eyes and stepped out into the pub. It was quite busy for a Friday and I saw lots of wizards and witches sat in small groups around the bar deep in conversation with each other. I saw a few of them had copies of the _Daily Prophet_ in front of them. Maybe something had happened that the _Prophet_ had reported. I hadn't seen a copy for today so far as it hadn't arrived before I'd left so I had no idea if anything of merit had happened in the wizarding world. Whatever it was though, it had got the wizards in the Leaky Cauldron into quite a stir. They were all whispering frantically to one another with looks of concern etched on their faces. Though curious, I shrugged it off and went outside to the back courtyard.

Diagon Alley itself was relatively empty this early in the morning. There were the odd few people present doing some early morning shopping like I was but the majority of the street was empty. I made my way down the crooked street to head to Gringotts to get some gold out to pay for Harry's present and the Wolfsbane Potion. Once my purse was filled with enough gold I headed for Slug and Jiggers Apothecary to collect Lupin's order. I was greeted by a variety of smells when I stepped in the shop coming from the various ingredients that lined the tables and shelves inside. A man at the back desk looked up when he heard me enter.

'Can I help?' he asked.

'I'm here to collect an order,' I said. I dug into my bag and pulled out the parchment with Lupin's order on it. I handed it the man. 'It's for Remus Lupin.'

The man's eyes scanned the parchment.

'Wolfsbane Potion,' he read aloud, 'one month's supply, including two extra measures.' The man then looked at me. 'Any reason for the extra this month?'

'He ran out,' I explained. 'He had enough to last till today but his symptoms started a bit earlier this month.'

The man frowned but nodded. He disappeared into the back room of the Apothecary and begun searching through the various bottles in there. One by one I watched as he wrapped up several little bottles of no more than what looked like a goblet-full of potion and placed them into a box. A few minutes later he re-emerged with the box in hand.

'Make sure he doesn't overdose on the potion,' said the man, 'and that he's only taking the recommended amount. That'll be three Galleons and eleven Sickles.'

I handed the man the gold and took the box of potions, putting it carefully into my bag. Having collected those I went in search for a present for Harry. I looked in Broomstix, the Junk Shop and Gambol and Japes for something to get him for his birthday. There was lots of good stuff I could see Harry liking but none of it seemed right to give someone who was turning thirteen. Although we were wizards, turning thirteen for a Muggle was important, as it was the start of being a teenager so I wanted to get Harry something extra nice for the occasion. In the end I settled on buying him a new set of Quidditch bracers for his arms, knowing that his pair from the previous two years had gotten a bit worn and tattered. I also got him a box of Honeycomb Bombs from Sugarplum's knowing he had a sweet tooth. Pleased with my morning's achievements I walked back down Diagon Alley to return to the Leaky Cauldron and go home.

From out of nowhere I felt a hand cover my mouth and an arm go round my waist. I screamed in surprise when whoever it was grabbed me and dragged me away from the main street. They pulled me into a nearby alleyway and out of sight of the other witches and wizards. I clenched my eyes tightly closed as I struggled to get free from whoever it was who'd grabbed me. I guessed it was a wizard judging by the feel of his rough hand on my face that was muffling my screams for help and the grunts he made as he tried to keep hold of me.

'Scream and I'll cut your throat,' growled the man. His voice was deep but sounded like it hadn't been used in years. 'Now give me all the gold you have.'

As I wriggled in his grip I felt my fingers tense. They started to tingle before I felt them snap straight. A blue orb suddenly surrounded me breaking the man's grip and pushing him against the wall of a nearby building. I landed on the ground but before I could run away, the man had grabbed me again. He shoved me hard up against the wall, his hand once again covering my mouth while his arm held me still. I kept my eyes shut in fear of what might happen.

'Where did you learn that?' demanded the man. He pressed a knife he had in his hand into my throat. 'Who taught you that spell?'

I made a muffled sound as I tried to tell him I didn't know how I did that spell. Braving it I opened my eyes to look at my attacker. He had very long, matted black hair that reached all the way down to his elbows having not been cut for a very long time. His face was very close to mine. I could see his grey eyes had sunken into his skull and had large dark circles beneath them as if he hadn't slept in ages, and his skin was all waxy and yellowed. He looked as if his energy had been drained from him over a long period of time. The moment I opened my eyes, however, the man released me and backed away, dropping the knife.

'It's not possible,' he breathed.

My eyes narrowed, confused. It was like I reminded him of someone. The man stared at me but before I could say anything he turned and ran. He disappeared down the alley into the darkness. I made to follow but he'd completely vanished. I looked around but he was nowhere to be seen. I guess he must have Apparated out of there or something but I hadn't heard a _crack_ so I had no idea where he'd gone. I turned round. The knife he'd been carrying was lying on the ground. I walked over to it and carefully picked it up by its handle. Suddenly I felt a pain shoot through my head and I saw several images flash over my eyes.

 _An alleyway … a body on the ground … a man crying beside it …_

 _A park … a man shouting someone's name …_

I dropped the knife and stumbled backwards. I felt my heart thumping in my chest from the shock. I blinked furiously to get rid of the images I'd just seen. What just happened? In the space of a split second I'd seen two different places where two separate events had happened with the exact same man in them. It was the man who'd just attacked me only he looked younger, healthier, a handsome roguish quality about him instead of the dead-looking appearance he had currently. What confused me though was that I knew both of those images. The first had been from the day my Mum died while the other had been of the park I was found in. But why would I see those images? What did this man have to do with me?

A thought suddenly hit me. My eyes widened and I felt my heart lurch. It couldn't be – it wasn't physically possible – that couldn't have been … my father? Quickly I grabbed the knife, wrapping it in the paper that Harry's present had been in, and put it in my bag. I then ran out of the alleyway and towards the Leaky Cauldron. Without a glance at the wizards and witches inside I went straight for the fireplace. I chucked the Floo Powder into it, said clearly my address, and stepped inside. I reappeared minutes later back in Moonlake's living room.

I hurried into the kitchen looking for Lupin only to find he wasn't in there. I dumped my bag on the chair and went to see if he was in the garden when I saw a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ lying on the table. There were two large articles on the front page both with pictures accompanying them. My eyes scanned the page to see what the articles were about having recognised one of the photographs to be showing none other than the Weasley family. I read the article that went with the photo, momentarily distracted by why they were in the _Prophet_.

 _MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE  
_ _Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts  
_ _Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual_ Daily  
Prophet _Grand Prize Galleon Draw.  
_

 _A delighted Mr Weasley told the_ Daily Prophet _, 'We will be  
_ _spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our  
_ _eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts  
_ _Wizarding Bank.  
_

 _The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt,  
_ _returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts,  
_ _which five of the Weasley children currently attend._

I looked at the photograph. The Weasleys stood grouped together in front of a pyramid in the desert, all looking very tanned and happy. Mr and Mrs Weasley stood in the centre with their children surrounding them and all were dressed in what looked like traditional Egyptian robes and hats. Fred and George were both grinning from ear to ear; Ginny waved happily at the camera; Percy was standing with his chest puffed out in pride; and Ron was smiling next to his mother, his pet rat Scabbers sitting on his shoulder. At the back I saw two more Weasleys that I didn't recognise. I assumed this had to be Ron's older brothers Bill and Charlie.

While happy that Mr Weasley had treated them to a holiday with the gold he had won, I brushed the article aside to look at the second one on the front page. This one was of a much more serious tone and the picture accompanying it was in the style of a Muggle mugshot. I read the article that went with it with both curiosity and mounting fear.

 _IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE FROM WIZARDING PRISON  
_ _Sirius Black, one of the most famous prisoners to be held in Azkaban for crimes during the First  
_ _Wizarding War, today was reported to have escaped from his cell deep inside the fortress and  
_ _made his way back to the mainland. It is unknown how he managed to slip past the Azkaban  
_ _guards having no wand to aid him in his escape, and it is believed that there has been no outside  
_ _help and that Black is working alone._

 _'We do not want to cause the magical community any alarm,' said Minister for Magic, Cornelius  
_ _Fudge, this morning at a press conference. 'We request that if anyone has any information on  
_ _where he might go or who he might try to contact to please come forward to assist in our search  
_ _for him. We want to get him arrested and back in Azkaban as soon as possible without resorting  
_ _to extreme measures or having to involve the Muggle parliament.'_

 _Black's whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is believed that he may have managed to  
_ _retrieve his wand from the Azkaban's security vault within the upper levels of the castle, although  
_ _this is currently unconfirmed. It has been advised, however, to presume him armed and dangerous.  
_ _As a precaution, all previous associates of Black have been contacted for information._

'Sirius …' I read. Why did I feel that I knew that name? Where had I heard it before? It bothered me and not because he had the same surname as me. The Black family had loads of relatives; having my surname didn't mean he was directly related to me.

I looked at the photograph of him. I gasped when I saw it was the same man who'd attacked me in Diagon Alley. In the photo he glared at the camera as he held up his prisoner number, and he was dressed in black and grey striped robes. Every so often he would let out a scream as he pulled against the chains attached to his wrists. It unnerved me as I looked at it but not because of how mad he looked. It was his eyes. I recognised them. Abandoning the paper I ran upstairs to my bedroom and over to my desk. I pushed my books aside to reveal the photograph I had of my mother and father. To my horror the pictures matched as I recognised the pair of grey eyes before me to the ones in the paper and the ones I'd looked into in Diagon Alley.

I dropped the photo and ran back out of my room. I rushed downstairs, out of the kitchen and into the back garden. Lupin was there busily setting up what looked like some sort of obstacle course for me to use if I chose to practice transforming today. I could see he looked very tired but it didn't stop me. I marched up to him with only one thought in my head.

'My father's Sirius Black!' I said straight out. Lupin instantly stopped what he was doing and looked at me. I could see the shock in his eyes. I'd never seen him look so troubled before, not even when we had that visit from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. At that moment though, I didn't care. I needed answers and I needed them now. 'You knew all along! How could you not tell me?'

'Jenna, listen to me,' began Lupin but I stopped him, shouting, 'All those times you took me to Azkaban and you never let me see him! You stopped me every time I wanted to know who he was, stopped Granddad from telling me about him, hiding my own father from me!'

'I was doing it to protect you,' said Lupin firmly. 'I didn't want you to know what he had become. I spent ten years looking for you after he abandoned you, I didn't want him to know I'd found you, not after what he did. I didn't want to risk losing you again.'

'But why is he in prison?' I asked. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. 'Why didn't you want me to know who my father was?'

Lupin sighed and looked away from me. He seemed almost ashamed of what he was about to tell me. After a moment had passed, he faced me again.

'Because he's a murderer.'

I gasped. I didn't know what it was but when Lupin had said that I felt like my world was falling apart. My father was a – a murderer? It couldn't be.

'No,' I breathed. I shook my head, the tears finally falling. 'No, it's not –'

'I'm afraid it is, Jenna,' said Lupin. 'I'm so sorry.'

I blinked and looked down at the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt a hand on my shoulder and Lupin pulled me into a hug. I put my arms around him and buried my face into his chest. I cried silently into his robes at the thought of my father killing someone. I had always known my father's family had been supporters of Voldemort and blood purity but my father had been in Gryffindor, not Slytherin like the rest of them. I couldn't understand how he could have done something so terrible when he came from a House known for its courage and bravery. What had happened that had made him change?

After a few minutes Lupin led me back inside and into the living room. He sat me down on the sofa and took the seat next to me. He gently stroked my hair as he watched me. My mind was spinning as I didn't know what to say or do until finally I found the question I wanted to ask the most, one that I myself was surprised that I asked.

'I want to know what he did,' I said quietly. 'I want to know what happened and how he ended up in Azkaban.'

Lupin hesitated. He looked at me with such concern, worried what my reaction to the information might be. I was scared myself, scared of what I was going to hear.

'Jenna, are you sure you want to know?' he asked. 'What your father did, it's beyond forgivable.'

'I'm sure,' I replied. 'Please, tell me what he did.'

Lupin sighed and relented.

'I knew Black when we were at school,' Lupin began. 'He was one of my best friends along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. He and Peter were the other two I told you about who used to keep me company during the full moons.' I nodded. Lupin continued. 'After your mother died, I began to mistrust Black and it turned out for good reason. Unknown to me, and to James and Lily, Black had defected to join Voldemort's Death Eaters and was working as a spy for them, said to be in his inner circle alongside his cousin, Bellatrix, and Lucius Malfoy. I had no idea he was a Death Eater, not even when your mother was murdered.

'James and Lily went into hiding when we discovered Voldemort was after them,' continued Lupin. 'They used a charm to hide their home from Voldemort, and Black was entrusted with the Secret that kept them safe and hidden from him. But Black betrayed them and told Voldemort the Secret. The night that James and Lily died, Black lost everything. His master was destroyed by his own spell rebounding upon himself, and Black would have been the one responsible for aiding Voldemort's downfall by sending him to his defeat. Knowing the other Death Eaters would be after him, Black went on the run.

'It didn't take long for someone to track Black down,' Lupin finished. 'It was our friend, Peter, who found him the next day. He tried to make Black confess to what he did but Black didn't listen. The Aurors got there as quickly as they could but they arrived too late. Black blew up a street with a Blasting Curse, killing Peter and twelve Muggles with a single curse. The Aurors arrested Black immediately afterwards. Black was still laughing as they took him away. He was imprisoned without trial due to number of witnesses and has been there for the last twelve years until his escape earlier this week.'

My head was spinning with all the new information I had to process about my father's past. Being a Death Eater; betraying his friends and handing them over to their death; killing so many Muggles and a wizard who used to be his friend. I found it horrifying to be related to him.

'He killed that many people with one curse?' I asked.

'The Blast was so powerful, the street they'd been in was completely destroyed,' said Lupin. 'The Ministry had to cover it up by saying it was a gas explosion. The only thing that was left in amongst the debris was some remains of the Muggles and Peter's finger which was returned to his mother for whatever comfort that gave her, her son dying a hero.'

Lupin observed my reactions carefully, not sure what I was going to do. I wasn't sure what to do either. A part of me wanted to scream; another part wanted to cry; and another was just confused by the whole thing.

'Why did you go to Azkaban when it's obvious you don't like him?' I then asked. 'If you don't like Black then why did you keep visiting him?'

'To get something back from him that's rightfully yours,' said Lupin, 'something he's had for years: your mother's necklace.'

'And how did he escaped?' I said. 'The Dementors are horrible and can feel human emotions. How would he get past them? And why would he even escape when Voldemort's been gone for so long?

'Nobody is sure how he did it,' said Lupin. 'A thought crossed me that maybe he transformed to get out but Black has been in Azkaban for many years. It would be unlikely he'd still be able to change into his old Animagus form having had his life force drained away over the years. The reason why he escaped, however, it appears he has some unfinished business and wants to finish what he started, by killing Harry.'

A stab went through my heart. I gasped, staring at Lupin with shocked eyes. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't! I didn't want to believe my father was the same insane murderer who had looked up at me from his photo in the _Prophet_ and that he was after my best friend all to get revenge for his fallen master. I didn't want to think that the smiling photo of my father was the same man whose wanted picture was now all over the paper. And for some reason … I didn't.

I blinked, my tears suddenly stopping. I thought through all of what Lupin had just told me, and what I already knew about Black from previous conversations. Something … wasn't making sense. Something in my head was telling me that what Lupin had said wasn't true. Something just didn't add up about it when I compared the information about Black's attitude now to the boy Lupin had known at school, the one pictured smiling with his best friends who Mum had written about in her diary. I glanced at Lupin to see he was still watching me closely.

'Jenna?' he said. 'I know it's awful, what Black did, but you don't have to fear him. I won't let him get anywhere near you.'

'What about Harry?' I asked. A thought had suddenly occurred to me; Black was supposedly after Harry to finish what he started and I was Black's daughter. I daren't imagine Harry's reaction if he ever found out I was related to this murderer. All Harry knew about my father was that he was absent as that was all I had ever known. This was going to change everything. 'He'll hate me when he finds out.'

'Harry won't hate you,' said Lupin firmly. 'You have nothing to do with Black and are certainly not responsible for his crimes. All you have to do is tell Harry you only just found out yourself and that you were shocked at the news of who your father really was. Harry will see you don't have any connection to Black other than your blood.'

 _Yeah, my blood_ , I thought. I was a Black by name and by blood only, I had no familial bond with this man, but my name had just been blackened more than I could have imagine by my father's actions.

-o-

A sharp _crack_ echoed through the silent night. From out of the shadows of the trees, Black looked across at the small cottage in the middle of the fields. He had only visited this place a handful of times in the past but it was the only place he could think of that she'd be. Silently Black walked forwards and transformed into a large black dog. He charged through the grass as quickly as his paws would carry him towards the house. He didn't slow until he reached the hedges surrounding the garden where he gracefully leapt them in a single bound, landing effortlessly on the other side. He lifted his head to look round for any sign of moment. There was a light on in one of the front windows but that was all. Careful not to tread into the light, Black crept round to the back of the house.

Another light was visible at the back of the house coming from one of the upstairs rooms. Black raised his head to see where it was coming from. A person was just visible through the window. It was a young girl. Black felt his heart skip. It was her. He had been sure of it the moment she'd looked into his eyes back in the alleyway. He would recognise his wife's eyes anywhere. Black took a step forwards to try and get a better look at her when he heard the door suddenly open. He cowered towards the hedge and back into the darkness.

'It was foolish of you to come here, Black.'

Remus stared at his former friend, recognising the black dog as if the years hadn't passed since he'd last seen that form. Black stood straight and walked away from the bushes. He transformed back and shook his long hair out of his face. Remus saw the toll Azkaban had taken on Black; his body was thin and frail and his prison robes hung off him. His face looked dead and his eyes drawn with tiredness. Black glared at Remus, torn between both hurt and relief at what he had just seen.

'Why didn't you tell me?' Black asked, his voice low. 'Why didn't you tell me you'd found her?'

'I didn't have to tell you anything,' snapped Remus angrily. He kept his voice quiet though so Jenna wouldn't overhear them. 'I am Jenna's legal guardian. I make the decision as to whether you have the right to see her or not.'

'She is still _my_ daughter,' snarled Black, striding up to his former friend. They stood face to face, Black only a few inches shorter than Remus. 'Tala wouldn't want –'

'Don't you dare bring up my sister,' said Remus. He drew his wand and pointed it at Black. 'Don't you dare say her name.'

Black held up his hands in submission to show he had meant no harm. He took a breath to regain his temper.

'Remus,' said Black, his voice calmer now, 'please, just let me see her, that's all I'm asking.'

Remus shook his head, 'You're not getting anywhere near her. Jenna has had a hard enough time as it is, having learnt recently what you are and what you did after reading of your escape in the _Prophet_. She's terrified how Harry's going to react to learning she is related to the man who got his parents murdered.'

'Harry?' repeated Black. 'James and Lily's son? She's friends with him?'

'You're surprised?' retorted Remus. 'Seeing them together was like watching you and James again. They get in just as much trouble together as you used to.'

Black felt his heart lift once more at the news that his daughter was friends with his best friend's son. It was more than he could have hoped for the two of them after what they'd both been through. He felt the smile lift the corner of his lip but it never fully formed, not when he remembered that none of them knew the truth of what had happened that night twelve years ago.

'You aren't going to let me see her no matter how much I ask, are you, Remus?' Black sighed.

'You presume correctly,' replied Remus.

'Just answer me this,' Black continued. 'Is she anything like Tala?'

'More than you can imagine,' said Remus.

The two wizards stood in silence. Remus kept his eyes on Black the entire time as he gauged his reaction. Black took a deep breath as he fought to keep control of his emotions. He closed his eyes briefly as the memory of Tala came to his thoughts. After a few minutes Remus spoke.

'You better leave,' he told Black. Remus put his wand back inside his robes. 'For Jenna's sake, I won't turn you in but I warn you not to try and come here again. If Jenna gets put in danger because of you, I can assure you I won't hesitate to contact the Aurors to arrest you.'

Black nodded, and said, 'Thank you, Remus.'

'I don't need your thanks,' Remus retorted. He turned away to return inside. 'Now go before I change my mind.'

Black heeded Remus's warning and turned to leave. In one swift movement he transformed back into a dog and had leapt over the hedge disappearing off into the darkness.

-o-

For the following weeks I read every copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that got delivered to Moonlake in case there was anything more about Sirius Black's escape in it. My eyes scanned the pages for anything about Black, a passing mention, a photograph, a whole article if there was one. Most were only small snippet's about Black's possible whereabouts or guesses by wizards who'd been interviewed about Black's miraculous escape. Every time I read his name though, I shuddered; despite the fact he was my father, I couldn't physically acknowledge him as my "Dad". The only article I found with more than just a sentence on him was in the copy of the _Prophet_ that arrived on my birthday.

 _BLACK STILL AT LARGE  
_ _Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be  
_ _held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of  
_ _Magic confirmed today._

 _'We are doing all we can to recapture Black,' said the  
_ _Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, 'and we beg  
_ _the magical community to remain calm.'_

 _Fudge has been criticised by some members of the  
_ _International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle  
_ _Prime Minister of the crisis._

 _'Well, really, I had to, don't you know,' said an irritable  
_ _Fudge. 'Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him,  
_ _magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he  
_ _will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's  
_ _face it – who'd believe him if he did?'_

 _While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun  
_ _(a kind of metal wand which Muggles use to kill each other),  
_ _the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of  
_ _twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a  
_ _single curse._

'I suggest you don't dwell on Black,' said Lupin. I looked up from the paper. I hadn't noticed Lupin watching me. His eyes focused on the paper in front of me. He reached and picked it up. 'You have some post, by the way,' he then said, handing me three packages. 'It appears your friends have sent you some gifts for your birthday. Your Hogwarts letter has also arrived.'

I took the packages and put them down on the table. I could easily recognise the three different handwritings belonging to Harry, Ron and Hermione on the accompanying envelopes and there was a fourth letter baring the Hogwarts crest on it which had to have my third-year letter inside it. One by one I opened them to see what they had given me for my birthday.

 _Dear Jenna,  
_ _Happy birthday!_

 _I hope this letter reaches you in time for your birthday but the Post here in Egypt is not as  
_ _reliable as it is in Britain. They use falcons instead of owls here to deliver their mail so while it's  
_ _faster, they aren't as easily tamed and tend to rip the letters with their talons. They deliver them  
_ _to the coast where other birds take over and deliver them across the sea before the British Owls  
_ _collect them._

Sure enough, there were a few tears in the envelope from where the falcon must have held it.

 _In case you hadn't seen the article in the_ Daily Prophet _, I've been on holiday with my family in  
_ _Egypt visiting my brother, Bill, who works here as a Curse Breaker. He's taken us all round the tombs  
_ _and stuff. You wouldn't believe the sorts of curses those old Egyptian wizards put on their tombs  
_ _to prevent the Muggles from stumbling upon them. Fred and George kept trying to scare Ginny and me  
_ _by hiding round the corners in the tunnels until Mum shouted at them to stop, threatening to leave them  
_ _trapped inside the tombs with the mummies._

 _We were all really surprised when Dad won the_ Daily Prophet _Draw. Mum was beside herself. We won  
_ _seven hundred Galleons! Most of it's gone on this holiday, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next  
_ _year to replace my old one that I broke._

 _We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and  
_ _all our new books for next year. If you can make, we can meet up with Harry and Hermione to get all  
_ _our stuff together._

 _Hope to see you in London in a few weeks time.  
_ _Ron_

 _P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week._

I put down Ron's letter and opened the accompanying parcel that had arrived with it. I unwrapped the brown paper and opened the box that had my present inside it. It was a puzzle by the looks of it. Inside was a collection of golden coloured pieces that looked like they would fit together if assembled in the right way, all made up of different shapes and sizes. I put it to one side making a mental note to try and build it at some point. I liked things like that that relied on logic. I then picked up the next letter from Hermione.

 _Dear Jenna,  
_ _Happy thirteenth birthday! I can't believe we're all teenagers now!_

 _Did Ron tell you about the phone call he made to Harry and that his uncle answered? I couldn't  
_ _believe Ron shouted down the phone at him! I would have thought Mr Weasley would have told him  
_ _that you could speak normally and the person on the other end of the line would be able to hear you  
_ _clearly, given how much Mr Weasley likes Muggle things. I assume you also saw the article about Ron's  
_ _family winning that gold? I was so happy for them when I saw it. I'm really jealous he's in Egypt. The  
_ _Egyptian wizards would be so interesting to study._

 _I'm on holiday in France with my parents at the moment and so wasn't sure how to send this to you  
_ _but when Hedwig showed up to collect a present for Harry, I sent this along with her hoping she might  
_ _deliver it to you, as it was only small, after delivering Harry's present. If you've received this then I guess  
_ _she did so._

 _There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've re-written my whole History of Magic  
_ _essay to include some of the things I've found out. I hope it's not too long, it's two rolls of parchment more  
_ _than Professor Binns asked for._

 _Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays and has asked Harry to come if he  
_ _can. Can you make it too? Will your uncle be able to drop you off? I hope so, it'll be good to see you all  
_ _again before school starts. If not, I'll see you on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on September first._

 _Love from  
_ _Hermione_

 _P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem to happy about it though._

Hermione's gift, predictably, was school related. She had given me some refills for my diary that she had brought me back in first-year so that I could continue using it, them magically fitting into the book whilst not making it any thicker or heavier than before, as well as a book on owl care called _You and Your Owl_ she thought would come in handy while we studied Care of Magical Creatures next year. The final letter was from Harry. It wasn't as long as Ron or Hermione's but Harry had never been one to mince his words when talking to me.

 _Dear Jenna,  
_ _Happy birthday. I bet it must feel good knowing how old you are after so many years not knowing  
_ _while you were in the orphanage. I know my birthdays were never great here with the Dursleys but you  
_ _never even got to celebrate yours when you were younger. All the more reason to make up for it now._

 _I hope you like your present. It took me ages to think of what to get you but I'm pretty sure you'll like it  
_ _when you see what it is._

 _Ron says he wants to meet up in Diagon Alley on the last week of the holidays. Hope to see you there!_

 _From  
Harry_

Harry was right when he said I'd like my present when I saw it. While I wasn't as much of a practical joker like Fred and George, I did have a good sense of humour and so when I saw Harry had bought me a book called _Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts_ I couldn't wait to get a moment to have a look through the different jinxes and spells it contained for causing mischief. I bet Fred and George probably knew this book off back heart. I put the book with Ron and Hermione's presents then opened my final letter from Hogwarts. It contained the same information as always and there were a couple of new books I had to purchase for my new subjects Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. There was also a third sheet of parchment with it this year that was a permission slip. Apparently the third-years and up were allowed to visit the village, Hogsmeade, that was below Hogwarts over the weekends throughout the year but all students needed the permission slip to be signed before they were allowed to go down there. I took it out of the letter and went to Lupin's office to get him to sign it for me. However the moment I asked, Lupin refused.

'Hogsmeade is too out in the open,' Lupin told me, taking the permission slip from me and putting it in the pocket of his robes. 'If Black comes anywhere near Hogwarts or Hogsmeade looking for Harry, there's a chance he might see you and recognise you due to your similar appearance to your mother.'

'But Black doesn't even know I'm alive,' I said. 'That's what you said, he didn't know about me.'

'Even so,' said Lupin, 'I'm afraid I can't risk it, not until Black is arrested again and back in Azkaban.'

My face fell at Lupin's answer. I guess I wasn't going to get to see Hogsmeade this year, not while Black was still on the loose. Lupin saw my reaction.

'Tell you what,' he said, 'how about we head over to Diagon Alley today and I'll get you something special for your birthday. Anything you want. How does that sound?'

'But you've already given me my present,' I said, confused. 'The broomstick care kit was great. The twigs on my Thunderbolt III were needing a trim.'

'I know but, as I've decided to take the job as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, I'll have a little bit more gold this year so I thought maybe I could treat you to something special for your birthday.'

I thought about it, thinking it sounded like Lupin was trying to make up for something. I wasn't sure what Lupin had to feel guilty for, considering he couldn't be held responsible for me discovering the identity of my father. I didn't really want him to buy me something just because he felt guilty about something. Seeing the expectant look on Lupin's face though, I conceded and agreed to let him take me to Diagon Alley. There was something I had been thinking about doing recently and going to Diagon Alley would be a perfect place to get it done.

'A haircut?' Lupin repeated when I told him once we'd arrived in Diagon Alley. 'I thought you liked having long hair?'

'I do,' I said, 'but I'm thirteen now. I want to do something with my hair rather than keep the same style I've had since I was five.'

It was more than that that I wanted a haircut. As much as I looked like my mother, I had seen that my hair was very clearly the same as my father's when I saw the photograph of Black in the _Prophet_. It was almost identical to his, the same neat black locks falling either side of my face, only his were a bit more ragged after the years he'd spent in Azkaban. I knew that if he hadn't spent years in prison his hair would be as sleek as my own. If I changed how my hair was styled then perhaps there'd be less of a chance of anyone at school connecting me to Black. Though apprehensive, Lupin agreed and took me down the street to the Hairspellers. He left me with a plea of not to do anything _too_ drastic then disappeared as he had to organise some things for the coming school year.

A witch bustled over to me when I entered the Hairspellers and sat me down in a chair in front a mirror. Her eyes took in the length of my hair.

'My, my, you do have long hair,' she mused. 'So, what would we like done today?' She ran her fingers through it from my forehead and back over my head. 'We've got some lovely new styles just in. They'll really liven up your hair if you're open to some experimental styles.'

The witch showed me a copy of _Witch Weekly_ that had a small section of the latest wizarding fashion styles. I looked at all the different hairstyles, my nose wrinkling at the sight of some of them. All of them were really showy and glamorous, something I knew I wasn't.

'How about that?' I asked, pointing at one of the last few pictures. The witch in it had two-toned hair, the shades blending together with what I guess was her natural colour. 'I like that.'

'Hmm, you're a bit young to get your hair spell-dyed,' muttered the witch. 'You're at Hogwarts, aren't you?' she then said. I nodded. 'I think we might be able to work around it. So long as it's not too over the top.'

The witch took her wand out and the next moment my hair was covered in multicoloured bubbles as she gave it a thorough wash. Once the various shampoos and potions had been washed out of my hair the witch gathered my hair into a ponytail and, using her wand, cut off the bottom couple of inches to neaten up the ends. I bit my lip as she did it, having not had my hair cut in so long I was hoping she wouldn't take too much off it. I waited with held breath as the witch snipped and trimmed my hair with her wand, moving from side to side around me and pulling my hair this way and that. I watched worriedly as she pulled my hair forwards over my face and took off almost all of it giving me a fringe for the first time in my life. I stared at the strands hoping it was going to look all right. After almost an hour of cutting and spelling and drying, the witch stepped back and held up a mirror so that I could look at the back of my hair.

I gaped at my new reflection, amazed how different I looked now with my new haircut. I glanced up at my fringe, loving the soft sweep it created over my forehead and stopping just above my eyes having had my parting changed from a central one to one to the side. My hair still fell down my back only a few inches shorter than before but was now cut into a series of layers that gradually got longer and created a lovely flowing effect in the strands. The best bit though was definitely the new colour I had in amongst my black natural colour. Weaving subtly in between my black hair now were streaks of bright red colour, hidden beneath the top layer of my hair but blending almost naturally in between them. It looked amazing. Lupin, on the other hand, didn't look too thrilled about it.

'I said not to go over the top,' he frowned when he saw it. 'Spelling your hair is discouraged at Hogwarts, especially for the younger students.'

'Lupin, there's a boy a few years above me with bright green hair!' I argued. 'No one's told him off for it.'

'Jenna, is this about your father?' asked Lupin resignedly. I gaped at him. Lupin raised his eyebrow at me. 'Because you don't want people to know who he is? Because you don't want Harry to know?'

I looked at Lupin, stunned, then said, 'OK, yes, I did it so I wouldn't look so much like him and so Harry wouldn't notice the similarities between us. Do you know how much he'll hate me if he found out that my dad is responsible for the death of his parents? It won't even matter that I don't know him –'

'Jenna, Harry's your friend,' said Lupin. 'He won't judge you on who your father is when he knows you didn't know who he was yourself. He probably doesn't even know Black's after him let alone who Black really is apart from being an escaped prisoner. You have nothing to do with Black so you shouldn't be so worried.'

I wasn't convinced but I nodded nonetheless.

The end of the holidays came and for the first time I was not looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. I dreaded what would happen if people began to realise I was related to the escaped murderer when I had grown up without him in my life. I could already imagine the stares and whispers I'd get in the corridors if people found out. I just hoped Lupin was right that Harry wouldn't judge me on something I couldn't help and that he, Ron and Hermione would accept that I had nothing to do with Black when they eventually would find out what relation he was to me.

Lupin took me back to Diagon Alley on the last day of the holidays so that I could meet up with Harry, Ron and Hermione to get our school things even though it was leaving it pretty late to do so, but it had been the only time Ron could do it as he and his family got back from Egypt only three days before the end of the holidays. We arrived late that morning as Lupin still had some last minute things to gather for the following day and had been falling behind in his preparation due to the approaching full moon again. He dropped me off in the Leaky Cauldron to wait for the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione and disappeared off into the street to run his errands. When the Weasleys finally arrived, Hermione being dropped off shortly after them, Mr Weasley told us Harry had been staying at the pub since the start of August and should already be here.

It was clear that both Ron and Hermione had been on holiday. Ron was much more freckly than before while Hermione was a very distinct shade of brown from the tan she had received in France. There was no sign of Harry in the pub when we looked round the main room for him. Having been told by Tom the barman that Harry had already left and was somewhere in Diagon Alley, Hermione, Ron and I went with the rest of the Weasleys out the back of the Leaky Cauldron to go through the barrier separating us from the street behind. We stopped by Madam Malkin's to get some new robes as both Ron and I had grown a few inches over the summer, and went to Ollivanders so Ron could get his new wand, then went to Flourish and Blotts with Ron's parents to get our new school books.

' _The Monster Book of Monsters?_ ' repeated the shop assistant faintly when we asked him for the book we'd be assigned for our Care of Magical Creatures class. He seemed to pale when we told him we needed three copies of it before disappearing into the back and returning moments later carrying what looked suspiciously like some meat on the end of a long pole. He took it over to a large cage that I saw contained a pile of thick bound books. The moment he inserted the pole, the books went for it until one latched on with a set of teeth in its pages and it was pulled from the cage.

'Did Hagrid had some influence on our textbooks for this?' asked Ron weakly as we watched the shop keeper go for the next copy.

'It looks like it, doesn't it?' I muttered.

The only other books Ron and I had to get was for our Divination class as well as the next volume of _The Standard Book of Spells_. I picked up the latter then headed into the Divination section looking for a copy of _Unfogging the Future_ by Cassandra Vablatsky. As my eyes drifted over the various books they fell upon a copy of a book sitting on a stand on a nearby table. I looked at it, curious by its cover. A large black dog with ragged fur stood growling in the photo with its teeth bared; it's white eyes stared at me from the front cover. I read the title: _Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming_. I looked back at the dog. For some reason it looked familiar to me but I couldn't think where I might have seen it before. I wasn't given time to think on it though as Hermione's voice called over to me saying she had got all her books and the Weasleys were getting ready to leave. I took one last look at the book then turned away to pay for my things, the dog remaining forgotten.

I didn't really have much more I needed to buy for the upcoming school year so Ron, Hermione and I decided to go to Fortescue's as none of us needed to refill any of our potion kits or writing equipment. The Weasleys left us at the ice cream parlour and disappeared off down the street. Getting a table out the front so that we could see Harry if he appeared, we each ordered something for lunch and sat eating while Hermione and Ron told me about their various holidays. Ron pulled out the photograph of his family in Egypt that had been in the _Daily Prophet_ but Fred snatched it out of his hand before he could show us.

'Not flashing that clipping again, are you, Ron?' said George.

'I haven't shown anyone,' protested Ron. He tried to grab it back but Fred held it out of his reach.

'No, not a soul,' said Fred. 'Not unless you count Tom –'

'– the day maid –' added George.

'– the night maid –'

'– the cook –'

'– the bloke who fixed the toilet –'

'– and that wizard from Belgium.'

'Come on, you two, behave yourselves,' said Mr Weasley. 'If you're done teasing your brother, we need to get your books for your O. .'

Hermione and I grinned at each other at the twins' antics. Fred and George, who were starting their fifth-year at Hogwarts, relinquished their hold on the photograph and gave it back to Ron. They sloped off with their father leaving us to wait for Harry and Ron open to tell us about his time in Egypt without interruption.

'Egypt's got nothing on what Harry's been up to this summer,' said Ron after he finished recounting all the different things he'd done on his holiday. 'Dad says Harry almost got expelled if it wasn't for the Minister for Magic changing his mind.'

'What d'you mean?' I asked.

'Harry blew up his aunt,' said Ron, half smirking. Hermione gasped. I stared at him.

'You're joking, right?' I said.

'Harry didn't really, did he?' said Hermione. Ron nodded.

'It's what Dad said,' he shrugged. 'You can ask him yourself if you want. Harry!'

I looked round to see Harry making his way through the crowd of wizards and witches. Ron jumped up from his seat and both he and Hermione waved and shouted his name to get his attention. Harry spotted us, grinned, and walked over to where we were sat. He pulled up an empty chair and joined us.

'Finally!' said Ron. 'We've been looking for you everywhere. We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they'd said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and –'

'I got all my school stuff last week,' said Harry. He looked as happy to see us as we were to see him. 'And how come you know I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?'

'Dad,' said Ron simply.

'Did you _really_ blow up your aunt, Harry?' Hermione then said, using that familiar tone we'd heard before when she was serious about something.

'I didn't mean to,' said Harry. Ron burst out laughing. 'I just – lost control.'

'When you say aunt, I'm guessing it was your uncle's sister, Marge?' I asked Harry. He had told me years ago about his uncle's brutish sister; though I had never seen or met the woman – for obvious reasons – I had been told that she was built similarly to his uncle and bred bulldogs. She was apparently a very unpleasant woman for a Muggle, even more so than Harry's aunt and uncle were.

'I wouldn't be here if I'd blown her up,' said Harry. 'My uncle wouldn't have let me leave the house alive if I'd done that.'

'It's not funny, Ron,' said Hermione sharply. Ron was still laughing about the whole thing. 'Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled.'

'So am I,' said Harry. 'Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested.' He looked at Ron. 'Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?'

'Probably 'cause it's you,' said Ron. 'Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry would do to _me_ if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight, too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!'

'Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things.'

'Excellent!' beamed Harry. He then turned to me. 'Aren't you staying, Jenna?'

'Depends on how my Uncle is,' I replied. 'He's been a bit unwell recently so I can only stay if he doesn't need me to help out around the house.'

'Well I hope he lets you,' said Harry. 'It'd be a bit pointless going home to come back to London again the following day, wouldn't it?' I shrugged. Harry smiled. 'So, have you got all your new books and stuff?'

'Look at this,' said Ron. He dove into his bag and pulled out a long thin box. He opened it and took out a brand new polished wand. It was a much lighter brown in colour compared to Ron's first wand and there was a small but distinct handle at its base. 'Brand-new wand,' he said proudly. 'Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books –' he pointed at the bulging bags under our table. They were mainly Hermione's as she was taking a lot more classes than we were; mine and Ron's books had all fit into our bags. 'What about those _Monster Books_ , eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted three.'

'What's all that, Hermione?' Harry asked, pointing at her bags.

'Well, I'm taking more new subjects then you, aren't I?' said Hermione. 'Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies –'

'What are you doing Muggle Studies for?' said Ron. 'You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know about Muggles!'

'He does have a point, Hermione,' I agreed. 'Doing Muggle Studies when you grew up with Muggles does seem a bit pointless. Even Harry and I wouldn't really need to do it considering both of us have lived with them for most of our lives.'

'But it'll be fascinating to study them from a wizarding point of view,' said Hermione eagerly. I could see the glint in her eye she always got when she was excited about something.

'Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?' asked Harry while Ron sniggered at his remark. Hermione ignored them.

'I've still got ten Galleons,' she said. Hermione had pulled out her purse and was rummaging through the remaining coins inside it. 'It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present.'

'How about a nice _book_?' said Ron casually. Hermione sent him a look.

'No, I don't think so,' said Hermione. 'I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and Jenna's got Gizmo and you've got Errol –'

'I haven't,' said Ron. 'Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers.'

From out of his pocket Ron pulled a rather dull looking rat. Scabbers, whose age Ron had never known and whom he'd inherited from Percy when he was given his current pet, Hermes, a screech owl, was a rather rounded brown rat with a long pink tail and beady brown eyes. The years had clearly taken his toll on him though as now Scabbers was thinner than before, his whiskers weren't straight, and his fur was starting to fall out. He looked in a right sorry state even for rat. On his front right paw he had lost his toe I guessed in a fight with another animal.

'I want to get him checked over,' Ron said, looking at him. 'I don't think Egypt agreed with him.'

'There's a magical creature shop just over there,' said Harry. He pointed towards Magical Menagerie. 'You can see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl.'

We paid for our ice creams then gathered our various bags and crossed over the street towards the shop. Inside there was very little room to move about as there were cages upon cages of different magical creatures lining the floor and the walls. There was a rather unpleasant smell in the air that you'd expect in a shop like this and you could barely hear yourself speak over the noise of the different animals in there. A witch stood behind the counter in the middle of the shop floor busily advising a man on caring for his double-ended newts while Hermione began to look at all the different pets available for purchase. Once the newt wizard had gone, Ron took Scabbers over to the witch for her to check him over. While he and Harry did that, I helped Hermione pick out an owl.

'So what kind of breed do you want?' I asked her. 'Have you thought about what sort of owl you want?'

There were several different owl breeds all standing on their perches in the back corner of the room. There were owls as big as the screech and owls as small as the pygmy and elf breeds. Hermione looked at each in turn muttering about the advantages of having a barn owl over having a tawny owl, or a long-eared over a burrowing. As she went through the different breeds I had the feeling that perhaps an owl wasn't what she was after if she was having this much trouble trying to decide what breed to get. When I first got Gizmo, something about him just made me want to help him when I saw him in distress. Maybe that's what Hermione needed, a moment that would tell her she'd found the right pet to get.

A sudden commotion behind us drew Hermione and me away from the owls. We looked round in time to see a giant ginger cat land on top of Ron's head before propelling itself forwards on to the counter. It let out a very angry hiss and was baring its teeth at Scabbers. The witch at the counter tried to grab on to Scabbers to get him away from the cat but it swiped a clawed paw at her to stop her.

'NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!' cried the witch.

Scabbers let out a loud squeak of fear and shot off the desk, avoiding both Ron's and the witch's attempts to grab him. He bolted across the floor and out through the door to the shop that had just opened as another set of customers entered the shop in amongst the chaos.

'Scabbers!' shouted Ron. He ran after Scabbers, Harry following closely behind. The witch, meanwhile, had grabbed on to the giant ginger feline and was trying to restrain him from chasing after Scabbers again.

'Oh, Crookshanks, you naughty beast!' snapped the witch. The cat yowled as she grappled with him, trying to claw his way out of her arms. 'No wonder no one wants you when you keep chasing their pets!'

Beside me, Hermione's eyes lit up.

'Oh, he's gorgeous!' squealed Hermione. She walked over to the front desk to get a better look at the squirming cat. It was still pawing at the air trying to escape the witch's hold on him but stopped when he saw her. Hermione raised her hand and gently scratched his ear. The purr that followed sounded like it had come from the engine of a tank. 'You're gorgeous, aren't you?' cooed Hermione, stroking his head. 'What did you say his name was again?'

'Crookshanks,' said the witch. 'He's been a right nuisance since the day we got him. Hardly anyone wants to buy him and he keeps chasing everything.'

Hermione's eyes were still beaming as she took Crookshanks from the witch. I think she'd had her moment. I looked at the cat now purring happily in Hermione's arms. He was rather large for a cat, a good few inches taller in the legs than a regular Muggle cat. His fur was a strange ginger-striped colour and was very bushy and matted in various places due to its length. I guess he didn't like being brushed. His tail in particular was very wild. If I had to describe him, he looked like a miniature lion. When Hermione placed him back on the counter I saw his legs were rather bowed and his face looked squashed as if he'd run headfirst into a door with a permanent scowl upon it. Despite his appearance Crookshanks seemed very affectionate. He kept running his head along Hermione's chest to get her to stroke him again. That's when I noticed something. Crookshanks' ears were a lot larger than a normal cat's and very pointed at the tips.

'What kind of breed is Crookshanks?' I asked, curious. If I was right, Crookshanks wasn't a full Muggle cat breed.

'He's a Persian,' said the witch, 'but we think he's got a bit of Kneazle in him. He always manages to get out of his cage no matter how many times we lock him in it.'

I nodded. It seemed to make sense. Knealzes were known for their intelligence and over-sized ears, some traits that Crookshanks clearly had. At least his tail looked more like a bottlebrush than a pom-pom like a full Kneazle would have.

'What d'you think, Jenna?' asked Hermione. 'Should I get him?'

'If he's what you want,' I said. 'He definitely seems to like you.'

'How much is he?' Hermione asked the witch.

'Six Galleons and three Sickles,' said the witch.

Hermione handed the gold over to the witch. She took the payment and quickly went to the back of the store to collect Crookshanks' cage and bed. I raised my eyebrow at the speed of which she returned. It looked like she was quite relieved that someone had finally bought Crookshanks. I glanced at him as Hermione picked him up. He looked back at me with narrowed yellow eyes. He let out a low meow at me; quietly I hissed back at him in a very cat-like manner. Hermione didn't notice. With Crookshanks firmly held in her arms, Hermione and I left Magical Menagerie to go find the boys. Hopefully they had found Scabbers too. They appeared just as we stepped back out into the street. Ron gaped when he saw Crookshanks in Hermione's arms.

'You _bought_ that monster?' he said.

'He's _gorgeous_ , isn't he?' said Hermione. She gave Crookshanks another scratch under his chin making him purr again.

'Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!' snapped Ron.

'He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?'

'And what about Scabbers?' Ron pointed to the lump in the chest pocket of his jacket. I could just see it quivering. 'He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?'

'That reminds me, you forgot your Rat Tonic,' said Hermione. She dug into her pocket and handed Ron the small red bottle. 'And stop _worrying_ , Crookshanks will be sleeping in our dormitory and Scabbers will be in yours. What's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages: no one wanted him.'

'I wonder why,' said Ron. I noted his sarcasm. 'You just keep that bloody beast away from Scabbers or I'll turn him into a tea cosy.'

'He's a cat, Ronald, what d'you expect?' retorted Hermione. 'It's in his nature.'

'It's like they've never been apart,' I whispered to Harry. He nodded in agreement.

Now that Ron, Hermione and I had got all our school books and Hermione had bought herself a pet – much to Ron's chagrin – the four of us headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. We walked through the barrier into the back courtyard and on into the bar of the pub. I saw Lupin wasn't back yet from whatever he was doing but Mr Weasley was sat reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ at the long table in the middle of the room. The rest of the Weasleys didn't seem to be back from their shopping yet either.

'Harry!' said Mr Weasley jovially. 'How are you?'

'Fine, thanks,' said Harry.

Mr Weasley got up and put down his paper to shake Harry's hand. As he did so I saw the face of Sirius Black staring at me from the front page. I felt a shiver race down my spine. Black had so far not come up in conversation between the four of us though I knew it was only a matter of time before he did. I just hoped my haircut was enough to make me look less like him. Harry and Ron's reactions to it had been more surprised rather than complimentary, remarking why would I decide to streak my hair with red of all colours when my hair was jet black. At least Hermione had said it suited me though.

'They still haven't caught him, then?' I heard Harry ask Mr Weasley. I glanced at him. Did he not know who Black was or why he had been imprisoned?

'No,' said Mr Weasley. His smile had been replaced with a very serious frown. 'They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far.'

'Everyone?' I repeated, stunned. 'Is that necessary?'

'Black's a dangerous wizard,' said Mr Weasley gravely. 'He was deep in the Dark Arts when he was captured, one of You-Know-Who's most active supporters.'

'Would we get a reward if we caught him?' asked Ron. 'It'd be good to get some more money –'

'Don't be ridiculous, Ron,' said Mr Weasley. 'Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words.'

A loud noise coming from outside diverted the conversation away from Black, much to my relief. I had seen out of the corner of my eye that Harry had been watching me, as I must have paled at the mention of Black like I usually did. Lupin had told me my face always seemed to whiten whenever I was reading about him in the paper. The door leading to the courtyard swung open and the rest of the Weasleys came inside with their arms laden with shopping. Ginny blushed the moment she saw Harry and said a quick 'hello' before going off with Mrs Weasley to go through her school list. Percy, Head Boy badge pinned proudly on his chest already, strode over to us and shook Harry's hand solemnly, his face as serious as his father's had been.

'Harry, how nice to see you,' he remarked.

'Hello, Percy,' Harry replied.

'I hope you're well?' Percy continued.

'Very well, thanks –'

'Harry!' Fred appeared from behind Percy, shoving him out of the way and bowing deeply in front of Harry. 'Simply _splendid_ to see you, old boy –'

'Marvellous,' added George, pushing Fred aside and shaking Harry's hand as well. 'Absolutely spiffing.'

I bit my lip to cover the laugh that threatened to escape them. Percy scowled at his brothers' mockery. Mrs Weasley wasn't impressed either.

'That's enough, now,' she said, her hands on her hips.

'Mum!' said Fred, as though he had only just realised she was there. 'How really corking to see you –'

'I said, that's enough,' repeated Mrs Weasley firmly. She put down the handful of bags into an empty chair then came over to us. 'Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?' She pointed at the badge on Percy's chest. 'Second Head Boy in the family!' she said proudly.

'And last,' muttered Fred. Again I fought to suppress my laughter when I heard him.

'I don't doubt that,' snapped Mrs Weasley. She must've heard him too. 'I notice they haven't made you two Prefects.'

'What do we want to be Prefects for?' said George. 'It'd take all the fun out of life.'

'You want to set a better example to your sister!' snapped Mrs Weasley, Ginny giggling beside her.

'Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example,' said Percy pompously. 'I'm going up to change for dinner …'

Percy turned on his heel and disappeared up the staircase at the back of the bar. George let out a sigh.

'We tried to shut him a pyramid,' he whispered to Harry, Hermione and me. 'But Mum spotted us.'

'Shame really,' added Fred. 'I think he would have fit right in there with his ancient personality.'

I smirked at the twins. I always did enjoy their unique sense of humour.

I ended up staying at the Leaky Cauldron with the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione as Lupin had been forced to return home shortly after we'd arrived. He had left a message for me with Tom before he'd left saying that he had booked me a room for the night and to go with the others to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters the next day where he'd most likely see me on the train. Though concerned with whether or not he was OK, I waited for Granddad to bring my school trunk and Gizmo from Moonlake to the bar. He assured me that Lupin was just suffering from exhaustion as usual due to the full moon being so close now before speaking to Mr and Mrs Weasley about taking me with them to King's Cross Station the next day. I saw the familiar concerned look cross Mrs Weasley's face as she spoke to him.

'I must say, it's rather irresponsible of Jenna's uncle to do this,' I heard her say disapprovingly. 'Leaving her alone in Diagon Alley without letting her know he had to return home. She's thirteen-years-old.'

'Unfortunately, he has a weak immune system,' explained Granddad to her, 'and so there are moments when he is suddenly unable to cope without risk of collapse. Jenna's been aware of this all her life and has gotten used to being left in other people's care at short notice when he is taken ill.'

Mrs Weasley frowned but accepted Granddad's excuse.

'Well, we'll see Jenna to the Platform with the others,' she said. 'You can tell her uncle that we're more than happy to look after Jenna if needs be.'

I turned away from their conversation and back to the heated debate Hermione and Ron were having across the table from me while we waited for dinner to be served, on whether or not Scabbers would be safe from Crookshanks after the latter had made another attempt on the old rat's life earlier that evening. Ron was convinced Crookshanks had it in for Scabbers while Hermione defended him stating that cats naturally chase rodents. Beside me, Harry nudged my side. I looked at him.

'You OK?' he whispered. 'You seem worried about something.'

'Oh, it's nothing,' I shrugged. My brain worked fast to come up with a plausible excuse for my zoned out attitude just then. 'My Uncle's been busy over the summer and so had to book me in here last minute. Granddad was just explaining that to Mr and Mrs Weasley and asking them if they could take me to King's Cross tomorrow with you guys.'

Harry nodded. I smiled to cement the excuse, glad that our food had just arrived and so the conversation wouldn't continue. As much as I didn't like lying to Harry – and I use the term loosely as I viewed it more as covering for Lupin rather than telling a blatant lie to him – it was necessary so he didn't find out about Lupin's lycanthropy. Harry bought it though and tucked into his starter. Maybe this whole excuse lark would be easier than I thought this year. Covering for Lupin's lycanthropy would be a piece of pumpkin pie though in comparison to what I might have to do if my relation to Black ever came into question. That I had no idea what I was going to say if it ever came up. The idea of admitting it seemed too horrible to think about.

Conversation at dinner soon turned to how we were getting to King's Cross Station the next day. I listened as Mr Weasley informed us that we were going by Ministry car to the station. Everyone around the table turned to him.

'Why?' asked Percy curiously.

'It's because of you, Perce,' said George seriously. 'And there'll be little flags on the bonnets, with HB on them –'

'– for Humungous Bighead,' said Fred.

'Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?' Percy asked a second time, still retaining his dignified tone despite his brother's teasing.

'Well, as we haven't got one anymore,' said Mr Weasley. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ron stare intensely down at his food. 'And as I work there, they're doing me a favour.'

Despite Mr Weasley's casual tone I couldn't help but think that there was more to it than that, especially judging by how red Mr Weasley's ears had gone. Lending Ministry vehicles to an employee just to help him get his children to a train station? Seemed like a waste of time for the Ministry to be bothered with it.

'Good job, too,' said Mrs Weasley briskly. 'Do you realise how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground … You are all packed, aren't you?'

'Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet,' said Percy heavily. 'He's dumped them on my bed.'

'You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have time in the morning,' Mrs Weasley called down to him where we sat. Ron glared at Percy.

'Snitch,' he grumbled under his breath.

After the large dinner slowly the group dispersed to go upstairs to their respective bedrooms and check that all their things were ready for the following day. Seeing as all my stuff had already been packed before Granddad had brought it here for me, I had offered to let Crookshanks go outside for a bit before bed and keep an eye on him while Hermione went and finished packing her new books into her trunk. I let the ginger cat out the back door and sat on the step watching him as he prowled around the dustbins. He eyed me suspiciously as I watched him. When he let out another low growl at me I merely hissed back in response like before. It was like he didn't trust me or something. After a few minutes Tom came out and told me he was locking up the courtyard for the night. I nodded and stood up. I held open for the door to let Crookshanks inside then followed after him.

There were very few people left in the bar when I came back inside. The barmaid was busily cleaning the table from when we'd had dinner, waving her hand to make the chairs turn upside down on to the table top and a glass vanish into her rag. There was a couple of wizards sat at the bar talking with Tom while another sat at a table reading a book and absently stirring his drink with a spoon controlled by a wave of his finger. I walked past them and made to go upstairs when I heard voices coming from the next room. I frowned when I heard them. It was Mr and Mrs Weasley and they were arguing.

'He's just a boy!' Mrs Weasley was saying. 'This is the last thing he needs to know right now.'

My frown deepened. It sounded like they were talking about Harry. I glanced round the bar. No one had noticed me, and Crookshanks had vanished upstairs to Hermione's room. I ducked beneath the wooden staircase so that I was out of sight. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind before thinking of a cat. My body transformed and moments later I emerged from the shadows disguised as a black cat. I quickly ran across the bar and into the next room. Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting facing each other both with angry looks on their faces. I hid under the table to listen.

'Molly, please be reasonable,' said Mr Weasley. 'The Ministry's being unreasonable. It makes no sense not to tell him. Harry's got the right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen-years-old and –'

I was right. They were talking about Harry and I had a horrible feeling I knew what it was about.

'Arthur, the truth would terrify him!' said Mrs Weasley, her voice high and shrill. It was quite painful on my cat hearing. 'Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's _happy_ not knowing!'

'I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!' retorted Mr Weasley. 'You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves –' I couldn't deny he had a point there, '– they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him.'

'But he's _not_ dead, he's fine, so what's the point –'

'Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad,' said Mr Weasley, 'and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the _Daily Prophet_ , we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after –'

'But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts,' protested Mrs Weasley.

'We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts.'

'But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry –'

There was a loud thump on the table above me from Mr Weasley slamming his fist down on to it, causing me to cower underneath it. So Lupin was right. Black was after Harry.

'Molly, how many times do I have to tell you?' snapped Mr Weasley. 'They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Black's been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at Hogwarts … he's at Hogwarts". Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that …'

Silence followed. Carefully I edged towards the end of the table to look up at the elder wizards.

'Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right,' said Mrs Weasley, defeated. 'But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?'

'Of course he knows,' said Mr Weasley. 'We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed.'

I felt a shiver go through my body. The Dementors were going to be guarding the school? If they got anywhere near me, I'd collapse in minutes. Did Lupin know about this?

'Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?'

'Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards. Nor am I, if it comes to that … but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid.'

'If they save Harry –'

'– then I will never say another word against them,' finished Mr Weasley. 'It's late, Molly, we'd better go up and check on the boys and make sure they're in bed.'

I heard the chairs they were sitting on scrap back as they got up. Quickly I darted out from under the table before they could see me and slipped out of the open door back into the bar, passing through between someone's legs as I did so. I leapt up the stairs and along the corridor until I came to the room I was staying in. I pushed the door open with my front paws and went inside. Once inside I transformed back and shut the door behind me, my back firmly against it. I remained there for a few moments as I tried to comprehend all that I'd just heard. I jumped when I heard a knock at my door.

'Jenna, dear,' came Mrs Weasley's voice, 'are you ready for bed?'

'Er – yes, thank you,' I replied. 'Goodnight, Mrs Weasley.'

'Goodnight, Jenna,' Mrs Weasley said back. Her footsteps disappeared down the corridor.

I carefully peaked out my door to see if she was gone before closing it again. I sighed, saddened by what I had learnt, that Black really was after Harry. I looked up then walked over to the window in my bedroom. I stared out into the darkness. It was silent outside on both the Muggle and wizarding sides of London. It was comforting, however comforting silence could really be. To my left there was a mirror hanging on the wall above the chest of drawers. I walked over to it and looked into its reflective surface.

'I look so much like him,' I muttered to myself. I could see something in my reflection that had been in him in the picture of him and my Mum. Not to mention the black hair even with its streaks were a clear giveaway. But what I saw wasn't something bad. What it was I didn't know. 'He's got to be innocent,' I said, 'he's just got to be. He can't be what people keep saying he is.'

'You're holding on to very few threads of hope,' the mirror replied. I glared at it.

'What are you, a fortune teller or a mirror?'

It didn't say anything else.

I didn't sleep well that night. For the first time in what must have been two years now I was once again haunted in my dreams by the death of my Mum but this time it was different. I was remembering more of what happened, like when I had last been near the Dementors and when I had touched Black's knife. I could see Black kneeling there beside her, holding her body into his chest as he cried over her. But surely if he'd been a Death Eater, why would he cry over her when she was killed by his comrades? Surely he would have known she'd been marked down for death? The tears, however, seemed too genuine for them to be a lie. A man wouldn't cry like Black had over Mum's body if he wasn't truly affected by it. I woke with a start around two a.m. as the death itself was replayed. I lay back down with only one question on my mind: was Black really the man people believed him to be or was it all a big misunderstanding and that someone else had been responsible for all that Black was blamed for?

* * *

 **AN: first chapter of Prisoner of Azkaban down and I really like the changes I have made to it. I like the new way Jenna learnt about Sirius being her father, the added use of the shield she can produce which helped make Sirius realise who she was as he'd only ever known one other witch to make that shield, and the confrontation between him and Remus when he came to Moonlake to confirm whether or not it was his daughter he'd seen in Diagon Alley. I have even removed Jenna learning the Patronus Charm over the summer, feeling that it was now unnecessary in the rewrite for now. I hope you all like the changes and let me know what you think**


	15. The Things We Fear

Chapter 14

The Things We Fear

The next morning I was woken up by Mrs Weasley, gently shaking my shoulder to rouse me. I blinked hard having had very little sleep and pushed myself up on my bed. I pulled my hair out of its band and ran my brush through it, brushing out the knots from the black and red strands. I crossed my room and got some clean clothes out of my trunk then went to have a shower in the adjoining bathroom. Once clean and fresh I got into my clothes, put the rest of my stuff back into my trunk and made sure Gizmo was in his cage, then grabbed them both to go downstairs. A maid pulling a trolley of cleaning products with a broom sweeping beside her passed me as I walked down the corridor. She knocked on the door of a room just to my left.

'House keeping,' she said, her tone very uninterested in her job. I glanced back at her in time to see the door open and a loud roar bellowed from inside; her robes flew up and her hair was blown back from her face, and when the door slammed shut again, she swayed slightly from the force. 'I'll come back later.'

I raised my eyebrows in mild surprise then went downstairs.

I pulled my trunk down the rickety wooden staircase and left it and Gizmo's cage next to the rest of the luggage that belonged to the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione, which was all gathered in the corner. Everyone was sat round the table like we were last night. Mr Weasley was reading the morning's copy of the _Daily Prophet_ with a furrowed brow while Mrs Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a Love Potion she had brewed when she was younger. The three of them were all giggling about it. I bit back the urge to roll my eyes; I didn't like the idea of Love Potions, something forcing you to feel something for someone you might not even like. I took a seat at the table and helped myself to some cereal, keeping my head down so I didn't get pulled into the conversation. Harry and Ron appeared moments later and took the seats opposite me but before I could say anything to them Percy had stormed down the stairs shouting something about his photo of Penelope Clearwater had been ruined.

Just before we left I went to check on all our various pets to make sure they were ready for the journey in the Ministry cars while the others all rushed about checking they had everything. It seemed a very Weasley thing to do, leaving everything to the last minute. I checked Crookshanks was comfortable in his wicket basket and was greeted by the usual hiss from him. I frowned; if Crookshanks really was part Kneazle, did he know I was hiding my relation to Black from the others? I then went to check on the owls. Hermes, Percy's owl, was sitting proudly in his cage in a very similar manner to the way Percy would stride around with his chest puffed out. I gave him a couple of Owl Treats in case he got hungry. I then turned to Hedwig and Gizmo. To my surprise the two of them were both leaning their heads against their cages and hooting at each other in a way I hadn't seen before. They certainly seemed very happy in each other's company. I remembered back to the day I bought him. He'd been agitated because his mate had been bought. I looked at Hedwig. Had she been his mate or something?

Hermione appeared beside me to check on Crookshanks. She poked her finger through the wire door to stroke his ear.

'It's all right, Crookshanks,' she cooed through it. 'I'll let you out on the train.'

'You won't,' snapped Ron. He and Harry came over to us. 'What about poor Scabbers, eh?'

Ron jabbed at his chest where there was a large lump shivering in his jacket again. Just then, Mr Weasley stuck his head round the door leading to the Muggle side of London.

'They're here,' he told us. 'Harry, come on.'

Harry grabbed his things and was led out of the bar by Mr Weasley straight to the car. Ron, Hermione and I followed, loading our trunks and pets into the magically expanded boot of the dark green car that had come to collect us. I couldn't help but notice the furtive looks the wizard who was to drive us to the station gave us as we got into the car. To Ron's annoyance, Percy joined us, who was looking equally as peeved at the arrangement. It was a very awkward journey in silence to King's Cross Station. The cars slid through the London traffic with ease and we arrived at twenty to eleven, giving us plenty of time to get our stuff out of the cars and get to the platform. The Ministry drivers doffed their hats to Mr Weasley then drove off into the traffic once more.

Mrs Weasley was right when she said we'd be a right sight in King's Cross Station for the Muggles. I mean, the sight of two adults, eight children of varying hair colour and appearance, eight trunks, three owls, a cat and a rat – though, granted Scabbers was still in Ron's pocket – must have been quite something if it hadn't been as busy as it currently was. Mr Weasley kept very close to Harry's side as he led us up the platform to where the barrier separating us from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was hidden.

'Right then,' called Mr Weasley. 'Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry.'

With a casual glance at the InterCity 125, Mr Weasley slipped through the not so solid wall with Harry's trunk without any of the passing Muggles noticing him. Harry did the same seconds later and vanished from sight. Ron and Hermione followed quickly afterwards as Ron didn't want to have to go through with Percy; Fred and George went after them; Percy strode through the barrier pretending to be looking at the pigeons in the rafters with me walking behind him; and Ginny and Mrs Weasley brought up the rear.

'Ah, there's Penelope!' said Percy loudly. His hand jumped to his hair and smoothed it down before walking over with his chest puffed out to a blonde curly-haired girl I recognised from the previous year. Penelope had been the girl I had found Hermione with when she was attacked by the Basilisk.

The group of us walked along the length of the platform amongst the other families already gathered there saying goodbye to their children. I looked around to see if there was any sign of Lupin but I had no luck in finding him. I hope he'd managed to get here safely. We handed our trunks over to the conductor and he loaded them and Hedwig and Gizmo's cages on to the train while Hermione kept Crookshanks with her. With them safely stowed away we returned to the platform to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley. Mrs Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, then me to my surprise, and finally Harry. I felt my cheeks redden at the gesture.

'Do take care, won't you, Harry?' said Mrs Weasley, releasing him from her hug. Her eyes were watering slightly I noticed. Next she opened her handbag and pulled out several packages that looked like sandwiches. She gave one to each of us. 'I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron … no, they're not corned beef … Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are, dear …'

'Harry.'

I looked to my left having heard Mr Weasley call Harry's name. I watched as he jerked his head to indicate he wanted Harry to follow him and they walked off behind a pillar out of Mrs Weasley's sight. A feeling of unease started in the pit of my stomach as I took the sandwich Mrs Weasley handed me and put it away in my bag. I had a horrible feeling I knew what it was about. I lingered to try and hear what was being said but Mrs Weasley quickly bustled me on to the train with the others.

'Arthur!' Mrs Weasley called over to her husband. 'Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!'

Mr Weasley quickly finished his conversation with Harry just in time. Harry ran over to the train and jumped on to the carriage through the door Ron had thrown open for him. The whistle blew and the train began to pull away. We waved goodbye to Ron's parents and they disappeared into the distance. Now safely on the train Harry turned to us.

'I need to talk to you in private,' he muttered. His eyes then flicked on to Ginny who was still standing beside us.

'Go away, Ginny,' said Ron.

'Oh, that's nice,' said Ginny huffily. She gave Ron a dirty look then turned on her heel and stalked off.

Still in need of a compartment for the journey, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I set off down the train to find an empty one. With every one we passed we found every one of them full of students all chatting excitedly about being on their way back to Hogwarts. It wasn't until we reached the end of the train that we found one with only one occupant inside. While adults were rarely ever seen on the train, my eyes lit up when I saw who it was. Leant up against the window with his travelling cloak pulled up over his face so only his forehead was visible, Lupin was fast asleep having only just suffered yet another transformation the day before.

'Come on, everywhere else is full,' said Hermione. She pulled open the door and we went inside.

'Who d'you reckon he is?' Ron hissed, nodding his head at Lupin. He took the seat opposite to him, eyeing him carefully. I took the vacant seat beside Lupin while Harry and Hermione sat opposite each other next to the now shut compartment door.

'Professor R. J. Lupin,' I replied. I felt quite proud saying it.

'How d'you know that?' asked Ron.

'It's on his case, Ronald,' said Hermione dismissively. She pointed at the battered old trunk sitting in the luggage rack. The letters were faded on the old brown leather and it was being held together by a large quantity of string. 'Jenna probably saw it there.'

'No,' I said, 'it's because he's my Uncle.'

'That's your uncle?' asked Harry. 'He looks a bit … ill.'

'Yeah, he's fine,' I shrugged. 'Just a bit tired at the moment.'

'Wonder what he teaches?' said Ron, frowning.

'That's obvious,' said Hermione. 'There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'Well, I hope he's up to it,' said Ron. I could hear the doubt in his voice. 'He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?' I frowned at that. 'Anyway …' continued Ron, looking at Harry expectantly.

'Last night, I overheard your mum and dad arguing in the parlour of the Leaky Cauldron,' said Harry.

'What were they arguing about?' asked Ron.

'Me,' said Harry. 'Mr Weasley wanted to tell me something that Fudge had refused to, and that Mrs Weasley agreed that I shouldn't know. Something about Sirius Black.'

I felt my heart skip when Harry said his name. I tried to arrange my face into a confused one to mask my real reaction.

'The escaped convict?' said Hermione, confused. 'What has Sirius Black got to do with you?'

'Black was one of Voldemort's supporters,' Harry continued, lowering his voice, 'and the reason they think he's escaped is to come after me and finish what Voldemort started.'

Like whenever something shocking was told to us, Ron mouth fell open while Hermione had her hands clamped tightly over her mouth to stop her from screaming. Only I remained calm considering the news we had just learnt. Even Harry seemed relatively calm considering he'd just found out some murderer was after him.

'Sirius Black escaped to come after you?' Hermione finally said, her voice high. 'Oh, Harry … you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry …'

'I don't go looking for trouble,' said Harry tetchily. 'Trouble usually finds _me_.'

'How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?' said Ron.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I allowed my hair to fall forwards over my shoulders having left it loose instead of putting it in its usual braid so that my face was slightly obscured by it.

'You said Black escaped Azkaban,' I then said. I know Lupin had told me his theory on how Black did it – being an Animagus – but he said his magic would have been too weak for him to manage it. 'I thought Azkaban was meant to be inescapable so how could he get out?'

'No one knows how he got out of Azkaban,' said Ron. 'No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner, too.'

'But they'll catch him, won't they?' said Hermione, concerned. 'I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him, too …'

'Sure,' said Ron sarcastically, 'except he's a murderous, raving lunatic.'

'Thanks, Ron,' said Harry.

'It's not just him, though,' Ron continued. 'The whole lot of them were mad, according to Dad. The Blacks were avid supporters of You-Know-Who, all of them the sharing his belief in blood purity. They were known for marrying their cousins in order to maintain their bloodline and despised anyone who wasn't a pure-blood.'

I shifted awkwardly again in my seat. Unfortunately Harry noticed.

'You all right, Jenna?' he asked.

Before I could answer, Ron asked the one question I had been waiting for. The one I had been dreading having to answer.

'Jenna, your surname's Black,' said Ron, as if he'd only just realised this fact.

'What's your point?' I asked. I tried to keep my voice steady but I could hear it shake as I spoke.

'You aren't related to them, are you?' Ron asked. He and Hermione looked at me from across the compartment. I hesitated, not knowing what to say when, to my surprise, Harry jumped to my defence.

'Jenna doesn't know where her dad is,' said Harry firmly. 'She grew up in a Muggle orphanage and never found out what had happened to him. Just because she's a Black and she's from a wizarding family doesn't mean she's related to _him_.'

I stared at Harry, confused by how he'd instantly stated that I couldn't be any relation to Black. I made to correct him but I stopped myself. A part of me knew I should, to get it over with and admit I was Black's daughter and that I only found out a few weeks ago and hope that the others don't take it the wrong way. A stronger part of me, however, was telling me to take Harry's support and not say anything, and hope that it is never mentioned again.

'What's that noise?' said Ron suddenly.

A high-pitched tinny noise had started somewhere above us. We all looked around for the source.

'It's coming from your bag, Harry,' said Ron.

Harry moved aside so that Ron could climb on to the seat and reach into the luggage rack where Harry had put his bag. A moment later he stepped back down holding a strange looking spinning top with a domed lid spinning furiously in his hand. It whistled the high-pitched noise and glowed a bright red.

'Is that a _Sneakoscope_?' asked Hermione, looking curiously at the object.

'Yeah … mind you, it's a very cheap one,' said Ron. 'It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry.'

'We're you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?' asked Hermione, raising her eyebrow at Ron.

'No!' he objected instantly. 'Well … I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys … but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?'

'Stick it back in the trunk,' said Harry, 'or it'll wake him up.'

Harry nodded his head in Lupin's direction. I knew for a fact that nothing was going to wake Lupin from his sleep, not this close after the full moon. He'd be out for hours at a time the following day as he recovered. Ron nodded and got back on to the seat. He buried the Sneakoscope into a pair of Harry's old socks and hid it in the bottom of his bag.

'We could get it checked in Hogsmeade,' said Ron, sitting back in his own seat. 'They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff, Fred and George told me.'

'Do you know much about Hogsmeade?' asked Hermione curiously. 'I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain –'

'Yeah, I think it is,' shrugged Ron, 'but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!'

'What's that?'

'It's this sweetshop where they've got _everything_ ,' said Ron. A wide grin appeared on his face as he imagined the shop. 'Pepper Imps – they make you smoke at the mouth – and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next –'

'But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?' persisted Hermione. 'In _Sites of Historical Sorcery_ it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain –'

I perked up when Hermione mentioned the Shrieking Shack. I'd heard of that place. Lupin had told me about it. For years the Shrieking Shack was said to be home to the most violent spirits that would howl and yell throughout the night scaring all the nearby locals or students who heard them. To this day, despite the Shack having been silent for years, people still are unwilling to go anywhere near it in case they disturbed the spirits inside. What they didn't know, however, was that the Shack wasn't _actually_ haunted. It had been the place Lupin used to go every month to transform away from the school and the howls they heard were the ones he made throughout the night. They started the year he began at Hogwarts then ended the year he left.

'– and massive sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them,' Ron continued, oblivious to Hermione's words. Seeing that Ron clearly wasn't listening, Hermione turned to Harry and me.

'Won't it be nice to get out of the school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?' she asked us.

''Spect it will,' said Harry. I noted his disappointed tone. 'You'll have to tell me when you've found out.'

My eyebrow arched. Harry wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade either?

'What d'you mean?' said Ron.

'I can't go,' explained Harry. 'The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either because he's not a parent or guardian.'

Well that certainly made sense. The Dursleys probably didn't sign it because of the aunt-inflating incident and Fudge because of Black, though Harry might still not know that. Ron stared at Harry, horrified at the news, even more so than the stuff about Black being after Harry.

' _You're not allowed to come?_ ' he repeated. 'But – no way – McGonagall or someone will give you permission –' Harry laughed shallowly at Ron's suggestion, '– or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of he castle –'

'Ron!' said Hermione sharply. 'I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose –'

'Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask for permission,' said Harry bitterly. I frowned again; I seemed to be doing that a lot during this conversation. Then again, nothing had really been said that would make me cheer up.

'But if we're with him,' argued Ron, 'Black wouldn't dare –'

'Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish,' snapped Hermione. 'Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because _we're_ there? Three thirteen-year-old wizards aren't going to stop an escaped murderer bent on getting revenge.'

Despite once again shifting uncomfortably at the description of Black, I felt the need to speak up.

'Make that _two_ thirteen-year-old wizards,' I said. The others looked at me. 'I can't go to Hogsmeade either.'

'Why not?' said Ron, even more outraged. 'Your uncle is _working_ for the school! How are you not allowed to go?'

I shrugged, 'He has his reasons so I didn't argue.'

Ron looked positively livid.

'This is ridiculous, the two of you both not allowed to go to Hogsmeade!' he raged. He only stopped when he noticed Hermione was fumbling with the straps on Crookshank's cage door. 'Don't let that thing out!' he shouted but it was too late.

'Get out of it!'

'Ron, don't!'

In one leap, Crookshanks jumped out of his basket and on to the seat. He stretched out his front paws, flexing his claws and yawning, then sprang on to Ron's knees much to his annoyance. He squirmed as the large cat settled down on his lap then shoved him away with a forceful push. Crookshanks hissed angrily while the lump in Ron's pocket gave a quiver. Beside me, Lupin made a movement causing everyone to freeze. They needn't have worried though as Lupin merely readjusted his position and continued to sleep.

For some reason the weather this year was not as sunny and bright as it had been in previous years as the Hogwarts Express journeyed north through the countryside. The clouds were a thick dark grey and the fields were a miserable sight to look at. In comparison the train was full of life as the students ran up and down the corridors and chatted loudly to each other about the coming year when they passed our compartment door. Lupin slept on throughout while Crookshanks kept a very beady watch on Ron's front pocket from the space in between where Harry and I sat. At about half past one, the witch who pushed the trolley appeared at our compartment door to see if we wanted anything to eat for the remainder of the journey.

'D'you think we should wake him up?' Ron asked, indicating Lupin beside me. 'He looks like he could do with some food.'

'Hang on, he might have something in his bag,' I said. Carefully I leant down and reached between Lupin's legs and the side of the compartment. I pulled his leather satchel free and looked inside it. I frowned when I saw he hadn't packed himself anything to eat. Lupin knew better than to not eat after transforming. 'I guess he forgot to make lunch today,' I muttered.

Hermione got up and approached where I sat beside Lupin.

'Er – Professor?' she said. Lupin didn't react. 'Excuse me – Professor?'

'You won't wake him,' I said. I replaced his satchel. 'He's a very heavy sleeper.'

'Don't worry, dear,' said the trolley witch. She handed Harry his Cauldron Cakes and put the gold away in her apron. 'If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up the front with the driver.' She slid the door closed and continued on her way.

'I suppose he is asleep?' said Ron quietly. He eyed Lupin cautiously. 'I mean – he hasn't died, has he?'

'Died?' I repeated.

'Well he's been pretty still the entire journey,' reasoned Ron.

'No, no, he's still breathing,' said Hermione.

Outside, the rain that had been threatening to fall for the last couple of hours finally did so. Large droplets of water hit against the window of our compartment and the hills were blurred out of sight. The four of us sat eating the Cauldron Cakes Harry had bought us as the weather worsened, conversation finally turning to a slightly more cheerful subject of what we could expect to learn in our classes this year, much to my relief. I'd had just about enough of the dismal talk at the beginning of the journey and the weather outside wasn't really improving my mood. Unfortunately, my mood didn't get any better when an unwelcome visitor appeared at our compartment door.

'Well, look who it is. Potty and the Weasel.'

I looked up when I heard the compartment door slide open and a familiar voice sneer at us. Draco Malfoy and his thuggish friends, Crabbe and Goyle, were standing in the doorway. Malfoy was looking at the four of us with the same sneer on his face while the two larger boys behind him merely attempted to look threatening, their fists clenched by their sides. After two years of being intimidated by the three of them, however, I no longer found them the same arrogant bullies they used to be. Now I just found them irritating. I stared at them as they attempted to get a rise out of us.

'I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley,' said Malfoy mockingly. 'Did your mother die of shock?'

Ron leapt up from his seat. Crookshanks' basket fell on to the floor with a loud bang. Beside me Lupin let out a snore. Malfoy's narrowed eyes turned on him.

'Who's that?' he said. I watched as he took a step back at the sight of Lupin.

'New teacher,' said Harry casually. He got to his feet too, standing just behind Ron in case he needed restraining. 'What were you saying, Malfoy?'

As cocky as Malfoy could be, I knew even he wouldn't be stupid enough to try and pick a fight directly under the nose of a teacher, even if said teacher was currently passed out from exhaustion. Sure enough, he, Crabbe and Goyle made a tactful retreat.

'C'mon,' he muttered to them and they turned away.

Before they had disappeared, however, I saw Malfoy catch my eye and give his eyebrows a quick lift, then walk off. I stared at him as he walked away. What was that about? With Malfoy gone, Harry and Ron sat down again. Ron still had his hands balled into fists. They hadn't noticed Malfoy's parting look at me though, nor had Hermione.

'I'm not going to take any rubbish from Malfoy this year,' said Ron angrily. 'I mean it, if he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and –'

Ron made a violent gesture.

'Ron,' hissed Hermione. She pointed at Lupin. 'Be _careful_ –'

'You guys need to stop worrying that he'll wake up,' I said. I got up and opened the compartment door.

'Where are you going?' Harry asked.

'Toilet,' I shrugged. I left the compartment and closed the door behind me before they could question it.

I walked up the train looking into each of the compartments I passed. Something about Malfoy's parting look at me had given me an uneasy feeling, not that I hadn't been feeling uncomfortable since we had left London, and I wanted to know why he'd done it. What did Malfoy know? I searched the train until finally I came to a compartment full of Slytherins in my year. I peered inside to see all the usual culprits were there. Malfoy was sat in the middle seat between Crabbe and Goyle facing away from me while Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini sat opposite them. I pulled opened the door, unconcerned about it being six Slytherins against just me.

'What do you want, Black?' sneered Pansy when she saw me. 'This compartment is for Slytherins only.' I ignored her.

'All right, Malfoy, I took your bait,' I said. I folded my arms. 'What was that look for?'

A smirk graced Malfoy's face. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle then stood up and approached me. The rest of them just watched.

'Oh, I was just surprised to see you with Potty and Weasel,' said Malfoy, 'considering what happened this summer.'

My eyes narrowed.

'Why shouldn't I be with them?' I countered. 'I have no reason not to be. Nothing happened over the summer that has anything to do with me.'

'Didn't daddy break out of prison over the summer?' said Malfoy, his smirk widening. I blinked, startled by his bold statement. The other Slytherins chuckled at my reaction.

'I don't know what you're on about,' I said then made to turn away. Malfoy wasn't finished though.

'Oh, I think you do,' said Malfoy loudly, making me stop. I looked back at him. 'It was all over the paper, Black's infamous escape from Azkaban. I would have thought you of all people would be … _concerned_ about it.'

'Black is nothing to do with me,' I said firmly. 'So we have the same surname, a pure coincidence.'

'That's what you'd like Potter to think, wouldn't you?' said Malfoy. He glanced at the Slytherins behind him; Crabbe and Goyle were grinning stupidly at each other, while Pansy and Blaise had smirks on their faces. The only person who seemed neutral in this was Daphne. 'I mean, it would be _awful_ if Potter found out you were related to the man who handed the Dark Lord his parents.'

I hesitated again. Now I knew Malfoy wasn't bluffing. It wasn't reported what exactly Black was imprisoned for, only that he had killed thirteen people but not the reason why. Very few knew his link to Harry's parents according to Lupin.

'How do you know that?' I asked slowly. 'Black was charged with murder, nothing else.'

'My father told me, just like he told me that you are Black's daughter,' said Malfoy, 'the child who vanished the night before Black was arrested.' I swallowed nervously. How did I not see that? I knew Malfoy's father had been a Death Eater; of course he'd know about what Black had done. 'Imagine how much Potter and Weasel would hate you if they knew who you truly were. Even the Mudblood, Granger, would turn on you.'

'You don't have any proof I'm who you think I am,' I said, trying to sound confident. 'None of his family knew about me. The only family _I_ have is my Uncle and my Granddad. My dad is long gone. All you have is a surname and a hunch.'

I turned away again. This conversation was over.

'Poor, poor, Potter,' Malfoy jeered as I tried to walk away. 'Doesn't know his best friend's darkest secret. It'd be such a shame if someone was to – er – let it slip that you are his daughter.' I stopped and glanced back at Malfoy.

'You wouldn't.'

'You may have managed to hide who you are this long but you won't be able to forever,' finished Malfoy maliciously. 'Better watch your back this year, Black, or someone might just tell Potter the truth.'

'You dare tell him,' I said in a low voice, 'and I swear I will get even with you.'

'Be careful, Black,' warned Malfoy. 'Don't want to start following in _daddy's_ footsteps …'

I glared at Malfoy but the damage was done; he could see I was visibly shaken by what he and the other Slytherins knew. Malfoy turned away and went back inside his compartment, pleased he'd managed to get to me. While his threats weren't completely unfounded, Malfoy had no way to prove I was Black's daughter and so it would be his word against mine if he ever carried out his threat. Inside his compartment I could see all of the Slytherins apart from Daphne enjoying the sight of me unsettled by the conversation. I saw her look at me out the corner of her eye before turning to Pansy, her blonde hair obscuring her face. With Malfoy's words running through my thoughts, I walked back down to the train.

'Where have you been?' asked Ron when I opened the compartment door. I shooed Crookshanks out of my seat and sat back down between Lupin and Harry, my arms folded. I didn't respond to Ron's question, not trusting myself just yet not to tell them what Malfoy had threatened to do.

'I told you before I left,' I said. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staring at me, confused by my sullen expression. 'I went to the toilet. There was a queue, that's all.'

I glanced out the corner of my eye at Harry. If any of them would know something was up, it would be Harry, having known me for so long. Sure enough, I could see he was watching me, confused by my attitude after an apparent trip to the toilet. I turned away to look outside. The sky outside now had turned pitch black and the rain and wind hammered at our window.

I glanced at my watch to check what time it was just as Ron said, 'We must be nearly there.' as he peered out into the darkness. Seconds after he said it, the speed of the train began to slow. 'Brilliant,' said Ron happily. 'I'm starving, I want to get to the feast.'

'We can't be there yet,' said Hermione. She also checked her watch. If hers was the correct time as well, we still had a good half an hour or so left of the journey.

'So why're we stopping?'

The sound of the breaks of the train being applied squeaked loudly over the noise of the rain. Our compartment shook as it gradually ground to a halt. I looked up, confused as to why we had suddenly stopped. Harry got up and opened the compartment door. He looked down the carriage, several voices coming from up and down the corridor as other students tried to find out what was going on. Suddenly the train gave a violent jerk. Harry fell back into his seat beside me. Still Lupin didn't stir.

Without warning the lights in the carriage began to flicker then went out completely and we were plunged into darkness.

'What's going on?' said Ron's voice somewhere in the darkness.

'Ouch!' gasped Hermione. 'Ron, that was my foot!'

'D'you think we've broken down?' I asked. I could only just see the others' outlines in what little light there was.

'Dunno …'

I looked to my right when I heard something squeaking. I could just see Ron wiping back the condensation on the window with his hand so he could look outside.

'There's something moving out there,' he said. 'I think people are coming aboard …'

The train shuddered, making us all jump. As I watched the rain trickling down the window, I noticed the water on the glass slowly start to freeze. It crystallised around the warmth of Ron's hand and from the edge of the frame from left to right, large shards of ice covering the glass. I watched it cross the window to where Lupin lay against it, the water in his bottle also becoming frozen solid. I shivered from the sudden chill in the air. I could just see my breath misting in front of me.

'Is it me or is it getting colder in here?' I breathed. I was shivering but it didn't feel natural, more like I was being forced to do so. Only one thing had made me shiver like this before and could turn a place cold as quickly as this, and I hoped whole-heartedly I was wrong.

Our compartment door opened. Next moment someone had fallen inside it.

'Sorry!' came Neville's voice. 'D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry –'

'Hello, Neville,' said Harry. He fumbled about helping Neville back to his feet and into the seat opposite him.

'Harry? Is that you? What's happening?'

'No idea! Sit down –'

A loud hiss told us he'd almost sat on Crookshanks. Neville let out a yelp while Hermione pulled Crookshanks on to her lap so he could sit down safely.

'I'm going to go ask the driver what's going on,' said Hermione. 'Jenna, can you take Crookshanks?'

I reached out in the darkness and felt the large mass of fur get placed in my arms. Crookshanks wriggled as I placed him down on my lap but for once didn't hiss at me as I tried to calm him by scratching his ear. I heard Hermione squeeze past Neville and the compartment door open once more before two loud squeals of pain rang out.

'Who's that?'

'Who's _that_?' It was Ginny.

'Ginny?'

'Hermione?'

'What are you doing?'

'I was looking for Ron –'

'Come in and sit down –'

'Not here!' said Harry. 'I'm here!'

'Ouch!' said Neville.

'Quiet!' I jumped when I heard the sudden movement behind me, and Lupin's hoarse voice in the darkness. Everyone fell silent. A light bloomed behind me. I looked up to see Lupin's tired face being illuminated by a handful of flames he held in his open palm. His brown eyes, however, were wide and alert. He glanced down at me, then said, 'Stay where you are.'

Lupin stepped past me but before he'd even reached the door, it had opened.

Illuminated by the flames in Lupin's hand, a single ripped cloaked figure as tall as the carriage floated in the doorway, the tears in its robes blowing in a non-existent wind. It had reached out its hand and waved its fingers over the door handle, clicking it open and pulling back the door. A rotten, scabbed hand held the edge of the door and the figure peered inside. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville all leaned away in their seats from the figure; Crookshanks hissed wildly and jumped up from my lap while Scabbers squeaked from inside Ron's coat.

It all happened so quickly. I watched paralyzed with fear as the Dementor looked towards where Harry and I were sat. I heard the familiar long, rattling breath and I felt myself begin to lose consciousness as it began to suck the happiness from me. My mind became flooded with images of my Mum, of Black, of everything I feared. I gasped as I felt like a part of me was being ripped from my body, my Mum's voice ringing in my head. I heard a thump somewhere beside me but I didn't know what it was.

Just before I passed out I saw the familiar glow of a Patronus light up the compartment and through the screams in my head I could just hear the faint howl of Lupin's wolf Patronus. Like a snap I felt the power of the Dementor break. My body connected with the seat and I blacked out, unconscious.

A hand ran over my hair. My eyelids twitched and I forced them open. My vision took a moment to restore itself and Lupin came into view. He had a concerned look on his face as he checked me over. I was lying on the seat. Ginny and Neville were staring worriedly at me and something on the floor. I could just see Harry's hair visible from behind where Ron and Hermione were crouched around him. It looked like he had collapsed too. It was then I realised the train was moving again and the lights in the carriage had been relit. The Dementor was gone.

'Harry!' Hermione shook him. 'Harry! Are you all right?' Ron was gently slapping his cheek to wake him.

'Jenna?' I looked at Lupin. 'Are you all right?' Lupin said quietly to me.

'I'm fine,' I told him, forcing myself up. I didn't want to be fussed over.

'It's nothing to be ashamed of,' whispered Lupin.

'W-what?'

Lupin stood straight and turned to face Harry. He had regained consciousness and was staring up at Ron and Hermione with no idea what had happened to him. Harry pushed his glasses back on to his nose having been knocked askew when he'd fallen off the seat. Ron offered him a hand and together he and Hermione got him back into the seat beside me. Harry looked as pale as I must have and he had a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead.

'Are you OK?' asked Ron nervously.

'Yeah,' said Harry. His eyes darted to the door to look for the Dementor. 'What happened? Where's that – that thing? Who screamed?'

'No one screamed,' said Ron, his voice shaking even more.

'But I heard screaming –'

I looked away. Of course, Ron wouldn't have heard a scream. By the looks of it, he and Hermione hadn't been affected in the slightest by the Dementor. Neville and Ginny were looking very pale though. None of them, however, would have felt what Harry and I had. The feeling of all our happiness being drained from us and our worst nightmares taking over. Harry claimed he'd heard someone screaming but I knew it had only been his head, like Mum's voice had only been in mine. A sudden loud snap made me jump and I came out of my thoughts.

'Here,' said Lupin. He had a large bar of chocolate in his hand and was breaking it into pieces. He handed Harry a particularly big piece for him to eat. 'Eat it. It'll help.'

Harry took it but didn't eat.

'What was that thing?' he asked Lupin.

'It was a Dementor,' said Lupin. 'One of the Dementors of Azkaban. It's gone now. It was searching the train for Sirius Black.'

I tensed as Lupin mentioned Black's name. He handed out more pieces of chocolate to the rest of us, giving me a substantial piece just like Harry. I gratefully took it and began to suck on the point of the shard. I felt the warmth start on my tongue and begin to spread through the rest of my body as my strength returned. Seeing me eat mine, the others began to follow suit having seen it was safe to do so. Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it into his pocket.

'Eat,' he repeated. 'It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me …'

Lupin opened the door and stepped out of the compartment. With a reassuring smile back at us, Lupin disappeared down the carriage corridor, the compartment door sliding shut behind him with a wave of his hand. I watched as he went, worried, my chocolate hanging from my mouth as I sucked on it. There was a silence in the compartment for the following few minutes. Hermione picked Crookshanks up and sat down between Neville and Ginny. The four of them were all staring at Harry and me.

'Are you sure you're OK?' she asked us both. I nodded, refusing to stop sucking on my chocolate until it was all gone. Having faced Dementors before I wanted to eat my entire large piece of chocolate until I was sure I wasn't going to throw up from the experience I'd just had.

'I don't get it … what happened?' said Harry.

'Well – that thing – the Dementor – stood there and looked around,' said Hermione shakily, 'I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face – and you and Jenna – you –'

'I thought you were having a fit or something,' said Ron. 'You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching –'

'And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked towards the Dementor, and pulled out his wand,' said Hermione. 'And he said, "None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go". But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned round and sort of glided away …'

'It was horrible,' said Neville. His voice seemed a bit higher than normal. Beside him Ginny was huddled in the corner where Ron had previously been sat. She let out a small sob. Hermione put her arm round her. 'Did you feel how cold it went when it came in?'

'I felt weird,' said Ron. 'Like I'd never be cheerful again …'

'But did any of you – fall off your seats?' asked Harry.

'Jenna collapsed shortly after you did,' said Ron. Harry looked at me; I shrank into my seat, my hair hiding my face. 'She was fitting like you were. Ginny was shaking like mad …'

The door of the compartment opened once more. Lupin had returned. He saw Harry still hadn't touched his chocolate. He smiled.

'I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know,' he said lightly. 'I would have thought my Niece's example might have encouraged you to eat it.'

Harry glanced at me then finally took a bite of his lump of chocolate. I watched as he reacted to the sudden warmth it brought.

'We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes,' Lupin continued. 'Are you all right, Harry?'

'Fine,' he muttered, mouth full.

The rest of the journey passed by in silence. At long last the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station and the students began to get off the train. Neville and Ginny had returned to their own compartments shortly before we'd arrived so they could change into their school robes, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I doing so as well once they'd gone. We gathered our bags, Hermione locking Crookshanks back into his cage, and joined the crowd leaving our carriage. The platform was wet and slippery and the rain continued to pour down on to us in cold showers. People fought their way to the end of the platform where the carriages that would take us up to the school were waiting. Through the sound of the rain, the students, and the various complaining animals, I could just hear Hagrid calling the new lot of terrified-looking first-years over to him to take the boats up to the school.

'All righ', you four?' he called as we passed him.

We waved at him then hurried onwards to the carriages. Ron pushed his way through ahead of us and over to the nearest carriage for us to get into. He opened the door and got in, holding it open for the rest of us. Harry, Hermione and I ran through the slippery mud over to the carriage and climbed inside. I paused as I did so, my eyes falling once more upon the Thestrals that pulled the carriage. A pair of white eyes looked back at me. I stared at it for a second or two then got inside, glad to be out of the wet. I pushed my wet fringe out of my eyes; having such long hair meant there was more to absorb the rain.

Ron and Hermione kept a close eye on Harry and me for the majority of the journey up to the castle. As the carriage rolled along up the muddy track, I could see them watching us out the corner of my eye. A part of me wanted to tell them to stop it. It was normal for people like Harry and me, who've experienced horrible things in our lives, to collapse upon meeting a Dementor because of their power to make you relive your worst memories. The only problem if I did that, however, was that they would question how I knew this. A Dementor wasn't the normal sort of creature someone my age would know about. I couldn't tell them this wasn't the first time I'd faced a Dementor. I couldn't tell them I'd been to Azkaban when Lupin used to visit Black in prison, not that I had known at the time that was who he'd been seeing.

The Hogwarts castle finally came into view. The castle was bright with light through the windows, shimmering through the rain falling before them. Our carriage passed through the wrought iron gates at the bottom of the hill and onwards up the track until it finally came to a stop near to the Entrance Courtyard. As we passed between the two stone pillars, I saw out the carriage window two more Dementors floating above the stone boars several feet above us. I shuddered and sat back into my seat so they were out of view. A few minutes later the carriage came to a stop. One by one we got out of the carriage and back into the wet weather.

'You _fainted_ , Potter?' said an unpleasant voice. I held in a groan. 'Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?'

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle pushed their way between Hermione and me, blocking our way to the Entrance Courtyard. He had the largest smile on his face, as if he'd just found a large bag of Galleons, delighted by the news he'd overheard.

'Shove off, Malfoy,' said Ron, jaw tense. Hermione put a restraining hand on his upper arm.

'Did you faint as well, Weasley?' said Malfoy. Some students passing us looked in our direction. 'Did the scary old Dementor frighten you, too, Weasley?'

'Is there a problem?' said a mild voice.

From the carriage behind ours, Lupin had just stepped out into the rain and spotted us standing there. Malfoy stared at Lupin, his eyes taking in the sight of his old patched robes and the dilapidated satchel in his hand. I saw the look of disgust pass over his face at the sight of his new teacher. I bit back the feeling of anger as Malfoy stare took on a disrespectful look.

'Oh, no – er – _Professor_ ,' he said, a hint of sarcasm evident. He smirked at Crabbe and Goyle, then led them up the few steps to the Courtyard. I glared at his smug retreating head.

I was relieved when we finally went through the front doors and into the Entrance Hall, glad to be out of the rain and into the warmth and dryness of the castle. The Hall was lit with dozens of torches burning in their brackets upon the walls, and the doors of the Great Hall were open, the light from inside flooding on to the stone floor. Before the four of us even stepped foot inside it, though, we heard the familiar voice of Professor McGonagall over the chatter of the crowds.

'Potter! Black! Granger! I want to see you three!'

Harry, Hermione and I turned round to see Professor McGonagall making her way through the crowd towards us. We looked at each other, confused as to why she'd want to see us when we hadn't been in the castle for five minutes. What could we have possibly done? With a look at Ron we made our way back through the crowd towards her. I felt a rush of nerves go through me when I saw her eyes peering sharply through her square spectacles at us.

'There's no need to look so worried – I just want a word in my office,' she said to us. 'Move along there, Weasley.'

Professor McGonagall ushered Harry, Hermione and I away from the crowd and over towards the Marble Staircase. We walked in silence up to the first floor and down a corridor that I knew led to her office. Harry, Hermione and I shared a look as we followed her, each of us wondering the same thing. If we hadn't done anything wrong, why did Professor McGonagall want to see us? Professor McGonagall opened her office door and let us inside. I felt the warmth of the fire instantly when I stepped inside. It was a welcome feeling after the cold rain. Professor McGonagall motioned us to take the empty seats in front of her desk before taking the one on the other side.

'Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train,' said Professor McGonagall abruptly. She looked at Harry and me, her eyes assessing our still pale visages. Before either of us could reply though the door to her office swung open. I looked round to see the Hogwarts nurse, Madam Pomfrey, come bustling in muttering furiously to herself.

'Not back for five minutes and already students are being taken ill! Honestly, what these students get up to!'

'I'm fine,' said Harry instantly upon seeing Madam Pomfrey. 'I don't need anything –'

'Oh, it's you, is it?' said Madam Pomfrey. She ignored Harry's protests and began examining him before moving on to me. 'I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?'

I cringed. We'd only been here two years and we were already known for doing something dangerous? I couldn't deny it was probably true. Both our first and second years here had culminated in us ending up in the Hospital Wing in some manner or other.

'It was a Dementor, Poppy,' said Professor McGonagall.

Madam Pomfrey stopped feeling my forehead and looked at Professor McGonagall. She pursed her lips disapprovingly.

'Setting Dementors around a school,' muttered Madam Pomfrey. She checked my eyes then went back to Harry, feeling his forehead as well. 'They won't be the first who collapse. Yes, they're all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate –'

'I'm not delicate!' objected Harry.

'Of course, you're not,' said Madam Pomfrey. She clearly wasn't listening though, now taking Harry's pulse.

'What do they need?' said Professor McGonagall. 'Bed rest? Should they perhaps spend the night in the Hospital Wing?'

'We're _fine_!' shouted Harry, jumping to his feet. 'Jenna and I are fine!'

'Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least,' said Madam Pomfrey.

'We've already had some,' said Harry quickly. 'Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us.'

'Professor Lupin always carries chocolate on him,' I added. 'He never goes anywhere without any.'

'Did he, now?' said Madam Pomfrey, sounding vaguely impressed. 'So we've finally got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies.'

'As Miss Black's uncle, I'd be worried if he didn't,' said Professor McGonagall, 'considering the amount of trouble she and Potter get into.' I felt my cheeks grow hot at that. 'Are you sure you feel all right, you two?' she asked us.

' _Yes_ ,' said Harry and I firmly.

'Very well,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her timetable, then we can go down to the feast together.'

Madam Pomfrey left the room, still muttering angrily that Harry and I should be spending the night in the Hospital Wing and not down at the noisy feast after what we'd been through this evening. Harry and I followed after her, the door to Professor McGonagall's office closing behind us, and waited outside while she spoke to Hermione. I could see Harry was clearly annoyed at Lupin's actions. He turned to me once the door was closed.

'Why did he do that?' Harry asked me tersely. 'I don't need to be babied!'

'He probably did it just to make sure we were OK,' I said. 'Dementors are nasty things from what I've heard. It's not the first time Lupin's faced them. That's why he always carries chocolate on him, in case he runs into one.'

The door to Professor McGonagall's office opened once more before Harry could continue to question me over Lupin's actions. Hermione emerge from inside with a large smile on her face. We couldn't ask what Professor McGonagall had said to her as she walked out moments later. She shut the door with a flick of her wand then led the three of us back down the first floor corridor and down to the Great Hall. I saw when we arrived that we had missed the Sorting. Professor Flitwick, in Professor McGonagall's absence, was just taking away the stool and the Sorting Hat, and I saw that the front seats at each of the four House tables normally reserved for the new first-years were all full.

'Oh, we've missed the Sorting!' said Hermione disappointedly.

'We saw it last year, Hermione,' I said to her. 'It's not the most exciting thing to watch, really, is it?'

'Still,' Hermione sighed. I rolled my eyes.

Ron was sat about halfway down the table. There were three empty seats next to him that he'd saved for us. Harry, Hermione and I slipped silently into them while Professor McGonagall continued up to the top table where the teachers were all waiting. Ron asked Harry quietly what she had wanted to see us about, but before he could tell him what had happened, Professor Dumbledore had risen from his seat and raised his hands for silence.

'Welcome!' said Professor Dumbledore loudly. His eyes twinkled as he gazed out upon the students before him. Even his white beard seemed to shimmer in the candlelight. 'Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast …'

The four of us looked at each other. Dumbledore had never done his "welcome back" speech before the feast before. And if it was something serious …? I had a horrible feeling I knew what it would be about.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued.

'As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.'

I glanced at Harry in front of me. We certainly knew this wasn't entirely the truth.

'They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds,' Dumbledore continued after pausing for the announcement to sink in, 'and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution.'

I shifted in my seat to get a better view of Dumbledore. I had never seen him look so serious before, not even when he warned us about the third floor being out of bounds back in our first-year. Even his voice sounded different, no longer light and jovial but deep and deliberate.

'Dementors are vicious creatures,' he told the students. 'They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises – or even Invisibility Cloaks.'

The four of us glanced at each other again; it was almost as if Dumbledore had added that as a direct message to us.

'It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving or understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs foul of the Dementors.'

I glanced at Percy just up the table from me. He was sitting next to Ginny, Fred and George just opposite, his chest puffed out in pride. I caught George's eye briefly; he nodded at Percy then rolled his eyes. I smirked.

'On a happier note,' continued Dumbledore, 'I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

'Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'

There was a scattering of applause round the Hall as Lupin stood up from his seat and gave a small bow, his shabby robes standing out against the other teachers. I could tell he must've been exhausted. The effort it seemed to take just to get to his feet was obvious enough to me. All but one of the teachers applauded their new colleague. I saw Snape, sat beside Lupin, give a thin-lipped scowl and clapped his hands three times quickly in succession only. I guess he was once again disappointed he had not been given the Defence Against the Dark Arts post. For some reason though he looked even more livid this year than he did last year when Lockhart had beaten him to the job. Strange.

'Why's Snape glaring at Professor Lupin like that?' Harry asked me.

'I don't know,' I said. 'They've never met before, not to my knowledge.'

'That look though,' Harry whispered, 'it's like the one he always gives me whenever he sees me.'

I looked back at Snape. I had to agree, the look he was giving Lupin did look like the one he normally reserved for Harry: a look of pure loathing.

'As to our second new appointment,' said Dumbledore, once the applause had died away, 'well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I stared at each other, stunned. Hagrid was going to be teaching us this year? Was Dumbledore serious? I mean, it was great that he had been given the job but at that moment I was torn between excitement for his lessons and concern, considering what pets of Hagrid's we'd encountered in the past: Fluffy, Norbert and – though I never met him – Aragog. Once the surprise had passed, the four of us joined in the loud applause for Hagrid that was led by the Gryffindor table. Up at the teacher's table, Hagrid's cheeks had turned bright red beneath his bushy black beard, his grin just hidden in amongst the whiskers.

'We should have known!' said Ron loudly. 'Who else would have set us a biting book?'

Dumbledore held up his hands for silence once more.

'Well, I think that's everything of importance,' he acknowledged. 'Let the feast begin!'

Within seconds the empty platters and dishes in front of us had been filled with mountains of food and the jugs brimming with drink. The students began chatting and catching up with their friends after our eight week holiday, the sound of knives and forks clinking as they ate. Beside me Harry was eager to speak to Hagrid and congratulate him on his new job, knowing it must mean the world to him especially after the events of last year. I, however, was more concerned by what Dumbledore had said about the Dementors. If Dementors couldn't be fooled by tricks or disguises – or even Invisibility Cloaks – then how on earth _did_ Black escape from Azkaban? It sounded virtually impossible to do so as nothing would be able to hide from the Dementors, not even Black's Animagus form by the sounds of it. How did Black do it? I just couldn't figure it out.

Once the main courses had been cleared away and the desserts had been consumed, the students began to file out of the Great Hall to return to their various dormitories. The four of us made our way through the crowd of Gryffindors walking past up towards the teachers table where Hagrid was sat, clearly still beaming about his appointment to Care of Magical Creatures teacher and the reaction the students had given him.

'Congratulations, Hagrid!' squealed Hermione. If it was possible, Hagrid's already broad grin widened.

'All down ter you four,' said Hagrid. He wiped a few beads of nervous sweat from his brow. 'Can' believe it … great man, Dumbledore … came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough … it's what I always wanted …'

Overcome with emotion, Hagrid buried his face into his napkin and let out a muffle sob. I smiled, pleased for him despite my nagging worry of what he might get us to study. Hopefully nothing _too_ dangerous. Before we could console him, Professor McGonagall shooed us away and we joined the end throngs of the crowd leaving the Hall. Like last year, I had forgotten just how long a walk it was up to the Gryffindor Tower on the seventh floor over the holidays and so, full of food and tired from the long journey, I looked forward to collapsing down in my old bed in the now third-year girls' dormitory above the Gryffindor common room. We reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, a familiar sight in a pink crinoline dress.

'Password?' she asked us.

'Coming through, coming through!' I heard Percy's voice call from behind us. The new group of tiny first-years stood nervously behind him. 'The new password's _Fortuna Major_!'

'Oh no,' said Neville dismally. 'I'm never going to remember the password.'

I glanced at Neville despairingly then followed Harry, Ron and Hermione into the common room. Maybe one of these days Neville would stop being so forgetful. With all of us tired from the long day we'd had, Harry and Ron said goodnight to Hermione and me and we went our separate ways up to our dormitories. Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne were already there and getting into their pyjamas. Hermione and I quickly followed suit and the lights were extinguished in our dormitory as I fell asleep with a single thought in my head: it's good to be back.

The next morning I was up bright and early with Hermione, eager to see if I'd have any of my new classes today. I had to admit I was excited to start my Care of Magical Creatures lessons with Hagrid and I had a certain amount of curiosity as to what my Divination classes would be like. I'd heard rumours that the witch who taught it, Professor Trelawney, wasn't always entirely with it during classes. I got dressed into my robes and brushed out my hair, leaving it loose around my face instead of tying it into a plait like I did before, then waited for Hermione to finish getting ready. We met Harry and Ron down in the common room about ten minutes later once they had got up with Seamus, Dean and Neville, and we went down together to the Great Hall for breakfast.

As nice as it was to be back at school, there were definitely some things I hadn't missed over the holidays. When we had got down to the Great Hall, the first thing we saw when we walked through the doors was a large group of Slytherins gathered near the end of their House table closest to the door. In the middle of it I could just see the head of Malfoy appear before suddenly vanishing from sight as he pretended to faint, falling in a heap on top of the table. It didn't take a genius to know what or whom he was impersonating.

'Ignore him,' said Hermione as we walked past the group towards the Gryffindor table. 'Just ignore him, it's not worth it …'

'Hey, Potter!' shrieked the unnaturally high voice of Pansy Parkinson. 'Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! _Woooooooo!_ '

I glanced back at the crowd in time to see Pansy also pretend to faint. Someone looking back at us, a pair of brown eyes staring in our direction caught my eye. Daphne Greengrass seemed to roll her eyes in Malfoy's direction before shrugging her shoulders at me, and turning away. Though intrigued by her reaction, I went and took a seat between Harry and Neville at the Gryffindor table.

'New third-year timetables,' said George, handing us a sheet of parchment each. 'What's up with you, Harry?'

'Malfoy,' said Ron bluntly. He was still glaring at the Slytherin table. George glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Malfoy fainting yet again.

'That little git,' said George. 'He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?'

'Nearly wet himself,' said Fred.

Well that was a pleasant surprise to hear that Malfoy had been just as much of a wimp as he claimed Harry to be. All wand and no spell.

'I wasn't too happy myself,' George added. 'They're horrible things, those Dementors …'

'Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?'

'You didn't pass out, though, did you?' said Harry mutely.

'Forget it, Harry,' said George bracingly. 'Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been. He came back all weak and shaking … They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.'

 _Not all of them_ , I thought silently as I listened to them.

'Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after out first Quidditch match,' said Fred on a brighter note. 'Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?'

As the conversation had moved on from the Dementors, I stopped listening and turned to look at my timetable. My eyes scanned the writing on the piece of parchment as I read through which classes I'd have on what day. Opposite me, Hermione was doing the same but with the usual increased enthusiasm than my own.

'Ooh, good,' she squealed happily, 'we're starting some new subjects today.'

I glanced up at her timetable, then frowned. For some reason hers listed several subjects happening at the same time as each other. I knew Hermione was taking more classes than Harry, Ron or me, but even so, having two lessons at once? That was going to be impossible. Hermione would have to be able to be in two places at once if she wanted to get to all her lessons throughout the year. I knew it could be done; I'd heard Percy bragging last year about how he'd achieved twelve O. in his fifth year. _How_ it could be done, I had no idea.

'Hermione,' said Ron, also seeing her timetable, 'they've messed up your timetable. Look – they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough _time_.'

'I'll manage,' said Hermione dismissively. 'I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.'

'But look,' persisted Ron, 'see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And –' Ron leant in closer, ' _look_ – underneath that, Arithmancy, _nine o'clock_. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's _that_ good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?'

'Don't be silly, Ronald,' said Hermione. 'Of course I won't be in three classes as once.'

'Didn't Percy get twelve O. ?' I asked Ron, eating a mouthful of cereal. 'If he did it, why can't Hermione?'

'Because Percy's a swotty know-it-all,' said Ron. He was clearly still riled about being blamed for damaging Percy's photo of his girlfriend. 'So come on, Hermione, how are you going to get to all your classes?'

'I told you,' repeated Hermione, 'It's been sorted.'

'Well, then –'

'Pass the marmalade.'

'But –'

'Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?' Hermione finally snapped. 'I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.'

'All righ?' said a loud voice behind us. I looked up to see Hagrid striding up the aisle wearing his thick moleskin overcoat. In his hand I saw there was a dead polecat hanging by its tail. 'Yer in my firs' ever lesson!' he told us, clearly excited. 'Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready … hope it's OK … me, a teacher … honestly …'

And he walked off, still muttering and grinning widely to himself.

'Wonder what he's been getting ready?' said Ron. I could hear the note of concern in his voice.

'Hopefully nothing dangerous,' I muttered. I didn't like the sight of the dead polecat if that was a hint as to what we would be encountering in our lesson today.

'We'd better go,' Ron then said, looking at his timetable, 'look, Divination's at the top of the North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there …'

I grabbed a last slice of toast and shoved it my mouth, then grabbing my bag and getting up to leave with the others. We said goodbye to Fred and George and walked out of the Hall, Malfoy performing yet another fainting display as we passed. The Slytherins roared with laughter. I rolled my eyes. They were so easily entertained, I bet even a Flobberworm would keep them interested for a good ten minutes.

Finding the North Tower proved to be harder than the four of us thought. Even after two years at Hogwarts, we still didn't know everything about the castle and so far we had never set foot in the North Tower before and so we had very little idea of where it actually was. We walked up several staircases and down many corridors but none of them seemed to lead to where we actually wanted to go. I checked my watch to see it was five to nine. If we did manage to find the classroom we'd be cutting it very close.

'There's – got – to – be – a – short – cut,' panted Ron. You'd have thought that walking around a large castle every day for a year would improve one's health and stamina; clearly it wasn't the case for Ron. He paused against a wall to catch his breath at the top of the staircase we'd just climbed.

'I think it's this way,' said Hermione. She pointed down a passage to the right.

'Can't be,' said Ron. 'That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window …'

'You'd think the teachers would provide us with some sort of map,' I said, frowning. It wasn't the first time I'd thought this either. 'Three years later and we're still getting lost in the castle?' My thoughts got diverted, however, when I saw Harry staring at a nearby portrait. 'Harry, what are you looking at?'

I walked over to where Harry was standing, his eyes looking up at a large painting depicting a vast green field. The subject of the painting itself appeared to be a fat, dapple-grey pony that had just casually trotted into view from whichever painting it had previously been in. It was common knowledge that the paintings in Hogwarts frequently left their portraits and visited others around the castle; I guess it was the same for their animal subjects too. The pony took no notice of Harry watching it, instead beginning to munch on the grass. A moment later, a short knight clad in a suit of armour sprung into sight, his helmet somewhat dislodged from its position on his shoulders. It looked like he'd fallen off his steed.

'Aha!' he yelled when he saw us looking at him. He drew his sword from its scabbard and brandished it wildly at us. 'What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands? Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!'

'You what?' said Ron.

'I said, draw!' repeated the knight. He swung his sword a second time, the long blade too much for him to handle and he toppled over on to the grass. If I hadn't of been so surprised by his boldness, I would have laughed.

'Are you all right?' asked Harry.

'Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!'

The knight attempted to get to his feet, resting on his sword for support, but the blade merely sunk into the soft earth. He attempted to pull it out but it refused to budge no matter how hard he tried until his face was glistening with sweat.

'Listen,' said Harry, 'we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?'

'A quest!' shouted the knight. His rage seemed to have vanished at the sound of this apparent challenge. He sprung up, his hand raised in a point. 'Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find out goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!' He tried to pull out his sword one last time, then tried to mount his pony again with little success. 'On foot then,' he back-tracked, 'good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!'

The knight ran off out of the left side of his frame. We looked at each other, shrugged, then followed. The knight clanked along through portrait after portrait, running through landscapes and pushing through groups of wizards to their objections.

'Be stout of heart, the worst is yet to come!' shouted the knight over his shoulder at us.

He dove through a group of alarmed witches in crinoline dresses. We rushed up the spiral staircase it hung in. It wound further and further upwards until if finally came to a platform and we heard the voices of students at the top. I took a deep breath having reached the top of the stairs of the North Tower.

'Farewell!' cried the knight, now standing in amongst some angry-looking monks. He saluted us, knocking the visor forwards. He stumbled and forced it open again. 'Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If you ever have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!'

'Yeah, we'll call you,' muttered Ron, holding the stitch in his side. Sir Cadogan disappeared. 'If we ever needed someone mental,' he added once he was gone.

We climbed the last few steps to find all those who had chosen to study Divination this year gathered in an empty square landing. I looked around. There weren't any doors so where was the classroom? Ron nudged Harry beside me then pointed up at the ceiling. I followed his point to see a circular trap door. I raised my eyebrow. The classroom was … above us?

'Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,' Harry read. 'How're we supposed to get up there?'

The trap door opened and out from it descended a silver ladder.

'Like that,' I said simply.

'After you,' said Ron, grinning.

Harry gave us a sceptical look then followed after Seamus up the ladder. I looked up at the ladder with a certain amount of trepidation at what was going to be up there before climbing up it. My head poked up through the circular hole in the floor and I saw a short corridor in front of me leading to the classroom. I put my hands on the wooden floor and pushed myself inside then walked forwards. My eyes roved around the classroom. It was the strangest little room I'd ever seen.

It was large and circular with high walls around the edges. Instead of the traditional lines of desks, there were three rising platforms each lined with small circular tables for the students to sit at, and instead of the wooden benches there were cushioned armchairs and fat little pouffes. The whole room was draped in fabric that hung from the ceiling and there were curtains along the opposing wall to the seating area that obscured most of the closed windows making the room slightly darker than normal and very stuffy. The many lit torch brackets along the top of the walls compensated for the lack of light. There were several shelves full of various equipment I assumed we'd be using throughout the year: from crystal balls and half-burnt candle stubs to teacups of varying colour and design and packs of tattered playing cards. At the far side of the room I saw a fireplace with a small fire burning inside it, which accounted for the horrible smell and the uncomfortable heat in the room. It appeared Professor Trelawney was a fan of incense. A copper kettle hung over the fire, a small puff of steam issuing from its spout.

'Where is she?' I heard Ron whisper.

'Welcome,' said a soft voice, as if on cue. I looked up to see a middle-age woman suddenly appear from the shadows by the window. 'How nice to see you in the physical world at last.'

 _At last?_ I questioned. _I had been in the physical world for quite some time to my knowledge._

I hesitantly walked forwards into the classroom. I got a better view of who had spoken as the class took their seats. Professor Trelawney stepped forwards to where a single armchair sat next to a square table, a crystal ball perched on top of it, that sat in the middle of the room and took a seat. She looked at us all through a pair of large round glasses that appeared to magnify her eyes to at least three times their normal size, the huge brown orbs staring at us with a look of wonder. She wasn't wearing robes as such, but an oversized green dress with a gauzy shawl draped around her neck, and she had loads of bangles around her thin wrists. Her overall appearance looked distinctly odd, her thick curly hair doing nothing to help the look of surprise that was on her face as it stuck out from underneath its headband.

'Sit, my children, sit,' Professor Trelawney encouraged to the remaining few who hadn't yet taken a seat.

I slid on to a pouffe beside Hermione who had a clear frown on her face already and the class hadn't even started. She didn't look impressed one bit. Harry and Ron took the two chairs next to us.

'Welcome to Divination,' said Professor Trelawney. 'My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.'

No one said anything. I glanced at Harry and Ron. I think the three of us were already regretting our decision to take this class.

'So you have chosen to study Divination,' continued Professor Trelawney, 'the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field …'

Harry, Ron and I instantly looked at Hermione. Her eyes had widened and her mouth was open slightly from the silent gasp she'd just let out in reaction to Professor Trelawney's statement. Hermione relied on her books. How she was going to take this would be interesting indeed.

'Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearing, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,' said Professor Trelawney in a supposedly impressive manner. 'It is a Gift granted to few. In this room, you shall discover if you possess the Gift, you shall discover if _you_ possess the Sight –'

Professor Trelawney rose from her chair, her leg instantly hitting the corner of the table. I bit back the snicker that went round the rest of the class.

 _Which you clearly don't_ , I thought to myself. It looked like this class was going to be very absurd.

'Together we shall cast ourselves into the future,' she said dramatically, approaching us. 'You see, the truth lies sometimes buried in a single sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read.' Professor Trelawney took a stumbling step up the small stair to the first level, her hands holding on to the table in front of her. 'But first, you must broaden your minds,' she told us. She placed her hands on Seamus's head to emphasise her point. He stared up at her sceptically. 'First you must look beyond –'

Professor Trelawney swept her arm dramatically in front of her to the back corner of the room. My eyes followed almost instinctively as did the rest of the classes apart from Hermione's.

'What a load of rubbish,' I heard her mutter.

'You, boy,' said Professor Trelawney suddenly, looking at Neville. He jumped, almost falling off his pouffe. 'Is your grandmother well?'

'I think so,' Neville stuttered.

'I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear,' said Professor Trelawney. I cocked my eyebrow. Where had she gotten that assumption? She continued on. 'We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to Tasseomancy, which is the art of reading tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear,' she shot at Parvati, 'beware a red-haired man.'

Parvati looked at Ron then edged her chair away from our table. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

'In the summer term, we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire-omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever.'

This had to be one of the most over the top introductions to a class I'd ever sat through. Did Professor Trelawney always start her classes like this?

'I wonder, dear,' Professor Trelawney turned to Lavender, 'if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?'

Looking relieved she hadn't been asked anything difficult, Lavender got up and took the teapot down from the shelf. She handed it to Professor Trelawney.

'Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the fifteenth of October.'

Lavender stared at her, her eyes wide.

'Now, I want you to all divide into pairs,' Professor Trelawney told us. 'Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future_. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear –' she added, catching Neville's arm when he stood up, 'after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink.'

Neville squeaked and nodded. No sooner had he reached for a teacup was there a chink of breaking china and a pink teacup smashed on the floor. Professor Trelawney tutted and handed him a dustpan and brush.

'One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind … thank you …'

'What d'you think?' I said quietly to Hermione when we returned to our seats carrying scolding cups of tea.

'I think this is all a load of nonsense,' she bristled. I sniggered.

Having personally never been a fan of tea, despite how much Lupin drank the stuff at home, I slowly sipped the boiling liquid, my nose wrinkling at the taste. The liquid was so hot it took a while to drain my cup until only the sodden tealeaves remained. I stared at the lumpy brown remains in the bottom of my cup and gave it a shake, swirling it around three times counter-clockwise. The liquid span round in a circle then settled once more. I frowned; we were meant to read these? How? I tipped out the remains on to my saucer to get rid of the last of liquid then handed Hermione my cup of leaves. I took hers and looked inside it.

Professor Trelawney was wandering slowly around the classroom. I could see she was slowly making her way over to where we sat.

'I think I can see what looks like a coffin,' I said, turning Hermione's cup slightly to angle the leaves. 'That apparently means you will get some bad news. And there's something that looks like an hourglass. That means a decision.' I looked at Hermione and shrugged. 'Maybe you get some bad news and have to decide whether to tell it or not.'

Hermione didn't say anything. She was still staring at my cup. After a few minutes she put it down on the table.

'Oh, I can't see anything,' she muttered. 'This is ridiculous, how are you meant to see shapes in tealeaves? It's just a watery mess.'

'Broaden your minds, my dears,' said Professor Trelawney. She was one table away from us now. 'Allow your eyes to see past the mundane!'

'Come on, Hermione, you must see something,' I said. I took my cup and looked into it just as Professor Trelawney appeared at my shoulder.

'Tell me, dear, what do you see?' she asked me dramatically. I glanced at her then back at my cup.

'Well, I see what looks like a pepper pot,' I said, 'which means there's a secret being kept. And that looks like a knife,' I paused, my voice slowing as I read what it meant in my textbook, 'that means a broken friendship.'

Professor Trelawney took my cup from me and peered into it through her large spectacles.

'Yes, yes,' she mused, 'you've made a clear reading of this cup.' She handed it back to Hermione, thinking it was hers. 'A good attempt for your first go.'

Professor Trelawney moved on to Harry and Ron next to us. Ron was saying something about an acorn and an animal in Harry's cup. I was still staring at my own. I looked at the lumpy brown knife that had formed in the base. A broken friendship … I automatically glanced up at Harry and I felt a shiver race down my spine.

'Let me see that, my dear,' Professor Trelawney was saying to him and Ron. She took Harry's cup from him and stared at its contents. I then noticed I wasn't the only one watching her. The whole class had fallen silent and was looking in our direction as she read Harry's leaves. She turned it from left to right as she examined it. 'The falcon … my dear, you have a deadly enemy.'

'But everyone knows that,' said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her. 'Well, they do,' said Hermione. 'Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.'

Harry, Ron and I stared at Hermione, surprised by her bold statement. She'd never spoken out against a teacher before.

'The club … an attack,' Professor Trelawney continued, ignoring Hermione. 'Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup …'

'I thought that was a bowler hat,' muttered Ron. His ears had gone ever so slightly pink.

'The skull … danger in your path, my dear … a pair of curtains … a dark secret is kept from you …'

Professor Trelawney turned the cup again. She gasped and thrust the cup back on to the table, letting out a shout of shock. Across the classroom came another chink of china as Neville broke his second cup. Professor Trelawney stumbled backwards into her armchair, her hand clutching the various necklaces on her chest and her eyes closed. A whisper went round the class about her reaction.

'My dear boy –' she breathed, 'my poor dear boy – no – it is kinder not to say – no – don't ask me …'

'What is it, Professor?' asked Dean instantly. Everyone was staring around, some watching Professor Trelawney while others were straining to look into Harry's cup.

'My dear,' said Professor Trelawney. Her eyes snapped open. 'You have the Grim.'

I stared at Professor Trelawney, curious. What was a Grim? I wasn't the only one. Anyone who came from a Muggle family or background seemed confused by Professor Trelawney's declaration. Even some of those from the wizard families didn't seem to understand. Dean was staring vaguely at Seamus; Lavender was looking very puzzled; and Harry looked completely stunned.

'The Grin?' I heard Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw boy on the other side of the class. 'What's the Grin?'

'Not the Grin, you idiot,' said Michael Corner, a fellow Ravenclaw, 'the _Grim_.'

The majority of the class, however, reacted in shock. People gasped and put their hands over their mouths, looking horrified at Professor Trelawney's announcement. Harry looked round the class, confused by everyone's reaction.

'The Grim, my dear, the Grim!' cried Professor Trelawney. 'The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen – the worst omen – of _death_!'

I started. My mind thought back to the book I had seen in Flourish and Blotts, the one with the giant black dog on the front cover. It had been familiar to me but I still didn't know why. It was like some old memory that was long forgotten contained that creature for some reason and I just couldn't figure out why. Why would I remember something that was an omen of death? Around me the rest of the class was muttering nervously to their partners. Only Hermione seemed unconvinced. She had Harry's teacup in her hand.

' _I_ don't think it looks like a Grim,' she said flatly.

Professor Trelawney's eyes turned on her.

'You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you,' said Professor Trelawney, all wonder gone from her voice. 'Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.'

'It looks like a Grim if you do this,' said Seamus, tilting his head, 'but it looks more like a donkey from here.'

'When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!' said Harry sharply. Another whisper went round the class at Harry's reaction.

'I think we will leave the lesson here for today,' said Professor Trelawney. 'Yes … please pack away your things … Until we meet again. Oh, and dear –' she turned to Neville one last time, 'you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra hard to catch up.'

I gathered my textbook and slipped it back into my bag. Although I wasn't as concerned as the rest of the class appeared to be about the Grim appearing in Harry's teacup, it had got me thinking about the validity of omens like that. Omens were supposedly signs of good or bad things to happen but surely like all things, their legitimacy was only as strong as the person's belief in them. Therefore, if people chose to believe in death omens like the Grim, then they would be more real than to those who didn't. With that logic, if Harry believed what Trelawney said to be true then maybe it had been the Grim in his cup. Shouldering my bag, I climbed back down the ladder and back down the tower with the others.

'Death omens, honestly,' Hermione huffed to me as we walked to our Transfiguration class. 'If you ask me, Divination's going to be a very subjective class to study. A very woolly discipline indeed.'

'I take it you don't like the subject then?' I asked her with a bit of a smirk. Hermione gave me a sharp look. 'Not all aspects of Divination are as imprecise as something like tealeaves,' I reasoned. 'Some people are just better at it than others.'

Hermione looked affronted at me suggesting she wasn't good at Divination after one lesson. I shrugged. She wasn't going to be the best at everything, was she?

Having gone from the top of the castle in the North Tower all the way down to the Transfiguration Courtyard off the first floor, we only just made it to our lesson in time after the long walk through the castle. After the somewhat eventful Divination lesson, Harry chose to sit right at the back of our Transfiguration class, Ron beside him and Hermione and I on the desk next to theirs. The class kept sending furtive glances in his direction, making him stare avidly at his desk to avoid them. Professor McGonagall, unaware of the class's distracted attention, began the lesson to little response. It was only when I heard the word "Animagus" that I started to listen to what she was saying.

'Some of you might have heard of Animagi before,' said Professor McGonagall, 'while most of you will have not come across the term before. An Animagus is a wizard or witch who elects to turn into an animal through the complicated use of both Self-Transfiguration and Self-Charms. It can take years of study for a wizard to get the spells right. I, myself studied for four years while doing my O. and N.E. on how to complete the process, finally achieving it with some assistance from Professor Dumbledore shortly after I finished school. Due to the complexity of the spells and charms required, the Ministry of Magic keeps a close eye on those attempting the transformation and so have a register for those who succeed where they can record what animal they transform into and any particular markings they might have in that form.

'Once the process is complete,' Professor McGonagall continued, 'the wizard obtains a single animal form to transform into that is said to reflect his or her inner personality. These forms are final and so they are unchangeable if the wizard decides they do not like their form. Afterwards, the wizard is able to change with ease between his or her human and animal form. Like so.'

Professor McGonagall turned to her desk. In one smooth movement she took a step forwards and her body began to change. Seconds later, a grey tabby cat landed on her desk and turned to face us. Its fur was stripped and I saw a pair of very familiar markings around its eyes, almost identical to the square spectacles Professor McGonagall wore. The cat meowed, sitting rather stiffly on top of the desk for a moment or two, then preceded to leap back off the desk. It changed back and Professor McGonagall stood once more before us. She stared around the class, surprised by the lack of response.

'Really, what has gotten into you all today?' said Professor McGonagall, confused. 'Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class.'

The whole class turned round and looked at Harry.

'It's not that, Professor,' I said, 'it was really good.'

'Please, Professor,' said Hermione, 'we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and –'

'Ah, of course,' said Professor McGonagall tartly. She had a frown on her brow. 'There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?'

The class looked between her and Harry.

'Me,' said Harry finally.

'I see,' said Professor McGonagall. She looked at Harry closely through her glasses. 'Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –' Professor McGonagall stopped mid-sentence. She pursed her lips, her nostrils flaring slightly. 'Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic,' she continued. 'I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney …'

Professor McGonagall stopped again. I wonder what she was going to say.

'You look in excellent health to me, Potter,' finished Professor McGonagall, matter-of-factly, 'so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.'

Hermione and I giggled at that. The mood of the class in general seemed to lift after Professor McGonagall's denouncement of Trelawney's opening classes and our Transfiguration lesson continued as normal. There were one or two people who did remained concerned though. Ron's brow remained furrowed for the majority of the lesson and as we left I heard Lavender whisper to Parvati, 'What about Neville's cup?'

'Ron, cheer up,' Hermione told him at lunchtime. 'You heard what Professor McGonagall said.'

I had never seen Ron turn away a plate of food in the two years I'd known him so to see him off his lunch was certainly something to behold. The Grim must truly be bothering him. He pushed his stew around on his plate but didn't eat any of it. I half listened to the two of them while I ate, looking at my copy of _Unfogging the Future_ for anything about the Grim for some more information on it. All that was written was a description of what the Grim looked like accompanied by a picture of it under the chapter on Omens. I looked at the picture. The large black dog stared back at me; its white eyes seemed to glow against the dark photograph. Again I had that feeling of familiarity, something from my childhood I couldn't quite remember.

'Harry,' said Ron in a low voice, 'you _haven't_ see a great black dog anywhere, have you?'

'Yeah, I have,' said Harry. Ron jumped. He stared at Harry, his eyes wide with horror. 'I saw one the night I left the Dursleys.'

Ron dropped his fork.

'Probably a stray,' shrugged Hermione.

'Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's – that's bad,' said Ron seriously. 'My – my Uncle Bilius saw one and – and he died twenty-four hours later!'

'Coincidence,' shrugged Hermione. She poured herself some pumpkin juice and took a dignified sip.

'You don't know what you're talking about!' said Ron, raising his voice. 'Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!'

'There you are, then,' reasoned Hermione. 'They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better pop my clogs then!'

'Hermione,' I interrupted, 'just because you don't believe in it, you've got to remember some wizarding superstitions do have some grounding. Not all of them are just made up to scare people or completely unfounded.'

'Jenna, it's all circumstantial,' said Hermione tartly. 'There's nothing about the Grim that should suggest it is an omen of death other than people being so scared of it from rumours and hearsay that they die simply of fright.'

Ron gaped at Hermione as she turned away and got out her Arithmancy book.

'I think Divination seems very woolly,' she said with a note of finality. 'A lot of guesswork, if you ask me.'

'There's noting woolly about the Grim in that cup!' snapped Ron.

'You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep,' said Hermione coolly.

I stared at Hermione, stunned by her jibe. I looked at Harry, unable to believe what she'd said. He too was watching the argument before us, not sure what to say.

'Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura!' countered Ron. 'You just don't like being rubbish at something for a change!'

I looked up from my book. Harry stopped eating, his fork poised in front of his mouth. We shared a cautious glance. I think Ron had hit a nerve. Hermione's eyes turned on Ron in the darkest scowl I'd ever seen her give him. She then slammed her Arithmancy book shut down on the table so hard that it almost knocked over the jug of pumpkin juice it had been propped against.

'If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer!' snapped Hermione. 'That lesson was absolute rubbish compared to my Arthimancy class!'

Hermione snatched her bag up from the floor and stalked off. I looked at the boys, unsure what to say.

'What's she talking about?' asked Ron, frowning. 'She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet.'

Ron and Hermione still weren't speaking to each other as we walked out into the grounds after lunch for our first Care of Magical Creatures lesson. It was good to get out of the castle. The sky was clear with thin grey clouds scattered across the blue backdrop and there was a warm breeze blowing over the grounds as we walked down the stone steps embedded in the hill towards Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A handful of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws walked ahead of us as well as, to my annoyance, a small band of Slytherins I saw to contain Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. Malfoy was talking quickly to them in a low voice. I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about too as he sent a glance over his shoulder at us behind him.

Hagrid was waiting outside his Hut when the class finally arrived. He stood on his front steps with his sleeves rolled up his arms and a moleskin waistcoat over his shirt. Around his neck I saw hung four dead ferrets. Beside him sat Fang, the boarhound clearly bored at having to wait for us.

'C'mon, now, get a move on!' Hagrid called to us, waving us over. 'Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!'

Hagrid stepped off his front steps and walked off round the edge of his Hut. The class followed. A few minutes later I saw a large open area come into view. It was a paddock of some sort, a large square of land that had been cleared of most of its trees and was cut off by a low stonewall around its perimeter that Hagrid stepped over in one go, a second fence just slightly further inside it. I looked round the people in front of me to get a better view. There was something standing at the far side of the paddock just out of sight from us.

'Everyone gather round the fence here!' called Hagrid. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I made our way through the crowd to a free part of the fence so we could see what was going on. 'That's it – make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books –'

'And just how exactly do we do that?' drawled Malfoy.

'Eh?' said Hagrid.

'How do we open our books?' repeated Malfoy.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, Malfoy did have a point. I pulled my copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters_ from my bag and looked at it. The eyes on the front cover opened themselves and glared up at me, a quiet snarl coming from its mouth. I had only tried to look at the book once since I bought it at the end of the holidays only to recoil in horror as it attempted to bite me, almost taking my hand off. I had thrown it away from me and was chased around my room at the Leaky Cauldron until I managed to trap it by slamming a heavy ornament on top of it. I had forced it shut and reattached the brace it had come with to seal it shut, not wanting to open it again. I wasn't the only one either to do so by the looks of it. I saw other people in the class had all used various methods to restrain the book having not been able to use the brace once it had been freed from it.

'Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?' said Hagrid. We shook our heads. 'Yeh've got ter _stroke_ 'em,' said Hagrid. I could hear the disappointment in his voice. 'Look …'

Hagrid took Hermione's copy and pulled off the Spellotape she had wrapped around its cover. The book instantly went for Hagrid's face but the moment Hagrid ran his forefinger along its spine, the book seemed to shiver and it fell open completely docile. I stared at it. It was like calming any beast. A reassuring stroke was all it needed. I actually felt quite silly for not having tried that.

'Oh, how silly we've all been!' sneered Malfoy loudly. 'We should have _stroked_ them. Why didn't we guess!'

I glared at Malfoy, as Hagrid stuttered, 'I … I thought they were funny.'

'Oh, tremendously funny!' said Malfoy. 'Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!'

'Shut up, Malfoy,' said Harry loud enough so he could hear him. He was also glaring at Malfoy.

'Righ' then,' said Hagrid, his tone not as confident as before, 'so … so yeh've got yer books an' … an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on …'

Hagrid strode off and out of sight. With Hagrid gone Malfoy saw his opportunity to voice his opinions.

'God, this place is going to the dogs,' said Malfoy loudly. Crabbe and Goyle laughed. The class looked at him. 'That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him –'

'Shut up, Malfoy,' said Harry a second time.

Malfoy grinned at Crabbe and Goyle as Harry approached him. He dumped his bag in Crabbe's hands then walked away from them. He squared up to Harry, his eyes glinting. I watched carefully, concerned what was going to happen in Hagrid's absence. Malfoy looked up as if to check Hagrid was still gone when he stumbled backwards as if he'd seen something.

'Dementor! Dementor!' he shouted, pointing behind Harry.

The whole class gasped and looked round in fear at Malfoy's shout. I, however, didn't. I had been round Dementors enough times to know that the first sign of one being near you was an unnatural chill in the air and considering a lot of the class had now taken off their outer robes the chances of a Dementor being near us was very slim. I glared at Malfoy as he and the other Slytherins pulled up the hoods on their robes and began to "Ooh" at us. Hermione pulled Harry away from Malfoy and back to the front of the class. I walked over to Malfoy, irritated by his prank. Dementors were not something to take lightly and the fact he'd been just as scared as everyone else back on the train meant I wasn't going to let his joke drop.

'You're all wand and no spell, Malfoy,' I said, standing up to him. Malfoy looked down his nose at me. 'You're just as much of a wimp around a Dementor as the next person. Even you wouldn't be brave enough to face one without cowering.'

'Oh yeah? I am, am I?' Malfoy asked. 'Prove it, Black.' I glared at him. He knew full well I couldn't prove it. Malfoy smirked.

'You know, some day someone's going to wipe that smirk right off your face,' I told him, 'and believe me, the day that happens you won't know what hit you.'

'And you're just the one to do it, are you, liar?' asked Malfoy. I hesitated. Malfoy's grin broadened. Behind me, Harry had heard him and had turned back round.

'Don't call Jenna a liar,' Harry growled at him.

'Why not?' asked Malfoy. 'It's what she is.'

I turned away and walked over to Harry, saying to him, 'Just ignore him. He doesn't know what he's on about.'

'A word to the not so wise, Potter,' Malfoy continued. I glanced back at him. 'Watch what she does this year,' he said, pointing at me. 'She's not who you think she is.'

Harry looked at me strangely, not knowing what Malfoy meant. I looked back trying my best not to react.

'Oooooooh!' squealed Lavender.

Hagrid had returned. Trotting behind him were a dozen or so large creatures that I had never seen before. They were the strangest combination, the head and front legs of an eagle while the body and hindquarters were the legs and tails of horses. They varied greatly in colours from mild grey and chestnut brown feathers to palomino and dark black bodies. They fixed us with their beady black eyes, clicking their sharp beaks in warning. The talons on their front legs pawed the ground. Each creature had a thick leather collar round its neck and a long chain that Hagrid tied to a solitary tree in the paddock.

'Hippogriffs!' roared Hagrid, waving his hand at them. 'Beautiful, aren' they?'

I stared at the Hippogriffs in awe. I couldn't deny it: they were quite beautiful in an odd sort of way.

'So,' said Hagrid, clapping his hands together, 'if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer …'

Almost automatically the class stepped back from the fence that separated us to them. Hagrid didn't notice.

'Now, firs' think yeh gotta know about Hippogriffs is they're proud,' Hagrid told us. 'Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.'

'It's a bird,' I heard Malfoy mutter to Crabbe and Goyle. I glanced out the corner of my eye at him. He wasn't listening one bit to Hagrid. 'How intelligent can it be?'

'Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move,' Hagrid told us. 'It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, they get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

'Right – who wants ter go first?'

Once again the class took an automatic step back. I looked nervously at the sharp point of the Hippogriff's beak and the long claws on its talons, knowing I didn't want to be on the receiving end of those. As much as I liked magical creatures, I wasn't too eager to volunteer to try and try and stroke a dangerous Hippogriff.

'No one?' said Hagrid. I could see the desperate look in his eye that no one would do it.

'I'll do it,' said Harry beside me.

A loud intake of breath came from those in the class who'd been in our Divination lesson.

'Oooh, no, Harry,' said Parvati and Lavender, 'remember your tea leaves!'

Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence that separated us from the Hippogriffs and walked slowly over to Hagrid.

'Good man, Harry!' roared Hagrid. 'Right then – let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.'

Hagrid untied one of the chains around the tree in the paddock that connected to the collar around the neck of a large steel grey Hippogriff. Buckbeak squawked slightly, objecting to being pulled away from where he was grazing on worms in the ground. Hagrid threw one of the dead ferrets over to him. Buckbeak caught it in his mouth and guzzled it down in one mouthful. Another round of whispers went through the class. I watched with anticipation as Hagrid led the large bird forwards so that he was face to face with Harry. Buckbeak pawed the ground, his orange eyes fixed on where Harry stood.

'Easy now, Harry,' Hagrid instructed. 'Yeh've got to keep eye contact, now try not ter blink – Hippogriffs don't trust yeh if yeh blink too much … Tha's it. Tha's it, Harry … now, bow …'

Slowly Harry leaned forwards into a bow. He barely lowered his head as he bent at the waist, his eyes never leaving Buckbeak's. Buckbeak twitched his head and looked at Harry. He gave a loud squawked and opened his huge grey wings, flapping them warningly.

'Ah,' said Hagrid. I didn't like the tone in his voice. 'Right – back away, now, Harry, easy does it –'

Buckbeak pawed the ground once again with his talon. Then, to my surprise, Buckbeak lowered his head and bent its front leg into a very obvious bow.

'Well done, Harry!' said Hagrid. He clapped loudly at Harry's achievement then rewarded Buckbeak with another dead ferret, which he greedily ate. The class followed. I stared at the sight before me as I applauded, releasing the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding in. It had really looked for a moment that Buckbeak wasn't going to respond. 'Right – yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!'

Harry glanced at Hagrid then slowly approached the Hippogriff. He reached out a shaky hand. Buckbeak noticed. He clicked his beak, squawking slightly again. Under Hagrid's guidance Harry stopped approaching Buckbeak, giving him a chance to come to his outstretched hand. Buckbeak cautiously stepped forwards, his eyes fixed upon Harry. Slowly Buckbeak lowered his head once more and reached towards Harry's hand. He touched it to Harry's hand, allowing him to stroke the feathers on his head. Harry looked back towards Ron, Hermione and me, a grin on his face as he stroked Buckbeak.

'Well done, Harry,' said Hagrid again. The class clapped a second time, all but Malfoy and his friends who seemed disappointed that Harry hadn't gotten his arm ripped off. 'Righ' then, Harry,' said Hagrid, 'I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!'

'What?' said Harry instantly. I don't think he'd anticipated that.

Hagrid strode over to Harry and picked him up under the arms, lifting him clean off the ground despite Harry's objections. He carried him round Buckbeak's flank and swung him on to the Hippogriff's back.

'Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint,' Hagrid said, positioning Harry on Buckbeak before walking round his hind quarters, 'an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, because he won' thank you for that …'

Hagrid gave Buckbeak a slap on his rear flank. The Hippogriff instantly reared up on to his hind legs and gave a loud squawk, catching Harry by surprise. He grabbed Buckbeak round the neck just in time as Buckbeak cantered forwards towards the surrounding wall of the paddock. He spread his huge wings and flapped them, sending him soaring into the sky. I watched in complete awe as Buckbeak swooped round the perimeter of the paddock, his wings flapping steadily to keep them in the air. His speed was incredible. Hagrid let out a whistle to call Buckbeak back. Buckbeak circled round through the trees and leant forwards back to the ground. He slowed his wings and allowed his back legs to hit the ground, running across the paddock as he landed before coming to a complete stop. Hagrid lifted Harry back of Buckbeak, looking ecstatic things had gone so well.

'Good work, Harry!' he roared. The class cheered and clapped loudly. 'OK, who else wants a go?'

Harry's success with Buckbeak gave the class courage and we climbed over the fence into the paddock. Hagrid pulled Buckbeak over to one side and attached his chain to the fence before collecting the other Hippogriffs and spreading them out around the paddock. One by one people nervously bowed at their Hippogriff before waiting for it to respond. Some were more confident than others and were rewarded by their Hippogriffs responding to their bows. Neville didn't seem to have much luck with the one he was with as it refused to bend its knees. Neville kept running away from it any time it clicked its beak at him. I waited my turn as Seamus and Dean bowed and waited for the Hippogriff we were paired with to bow; the large black creature appeared very stubborn and didn't seem to want to bow to either of the boys.

'Ah, it won't do it,' said Seamus, frustrated. 'I can't get it to bow at all. It's being stubborn.'

'Careful what you say, Seamus,' I said quietly. The Hippogriff had heard him and had let out a threatening squawk. 'Don't insult them, remember?'

'You do it then,' hissed Seamus.

I looked across at the black Hippogriff. It stared back at me, a stubborn look in its eye. I took a breath then stepped away from Seamus and Dean. I steeled my nerves and walked towards the Hippogriff. I didn't dare break eye contact with it. We faced each other for a moment or so, almost as if we were sizing each other up. Neither of us moved. Once I was sure the Hippogriff wasn't going to attack, I slowly leant forwards and bowed to it. I kept my waist bent but lifted my head just enough to look at the beast. The Hippogriff was examining me closely as it decided whether to respond or not. Finally, after what seemed like a good five minutes, the Hippogriff relented and lowered its head in a bow. I let out my breath and reached out my hand. Having seen I meant not harm or insult the Hippogriff walked towards me and touched its head to my hand. I smiled, stroking its soft feathers. An almost purr-like squawk came from its throat. It seemed to be enjoying the attention I was giving it.

'This is very easy.'

I glanced to my right when I heard Malfoy's voice over the noise of the Hippogriffs as he spoke loudly to Crabbe and Goyle. He, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were working with Buckbeak. Somehow Malfoy had managed to get Buckbeak to bow to him and was now patting his beak. I could see he was doing it quite roughly. Buckbeak clearly was getting agitated, his talons pawing the ground much harder than before. As I thought, Malfoy hadn't listened to a word Hagrid had said about how to treat a Hippogriff and I could see that Buckbeak was getting steadily angrier at Malfoy's words.

'I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it …' drawled Malfoy. The people nearest him had turned round to see what was going on. Even Hagrid had stopped helping Neville get his Hippogriff to bow having noticed Buckbeak's agitation. 'I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?' he said directly to Buckbeak. 'Are you, you ugly great brute?'

'Malfoy, no –' but Hagrid was too late.

'Malfoy, don't –!'

What happened next happened so fast you would have missed it if you'd blinked. Before my shout could stop him and before the words had left Malfoy's mouth, Buckbeak reared up and spread his wings in a threatening manner. The class screamed and ran for it. Malfoy froze as Buckbeak towered over him, having realised just what he'd done. Without even thinking of the consequences, I ran at Malfoy and pushed him to the ground as Buckbeak attacked. I felt a searing pain pass across my abdomen as Buckbeak's claws slashed across my stomach, the claws of his other talon swiping down Malfoy's arm as he fell backwards. I fell on to the ground beside Malfoy and instantly wrapped my arms tightly around my waist. I hunched up, the pain unbearable. I could hear Malfoy whining beside me on the ground. I don't know what made me do it. I just couldn't stand by and watch as Buckbeak was mistreated because of Malfoy's stupidity.

'Buckbeak!' shouted Hagrid. He ran over to us and stood between Buckbeak and us. He held up his hands as he tried to calm the enraged beast. 'Whoa, whoa!' he shouted. 'Buckbeak!' I could hear Buckbeak's squawks stopping. I didn't dare move to look. I just lay there on my side, my eyes wide and staring at the dirt. I had never been in so much pain before. I could just see Malfoy writhing on his back in my line of vision. 'Away you silly creature.'

'I'm dying!' yelled Malfoy beside me. 'I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me.'

'Yer not dyin'!' said Hagrid. 'Someone help me – gotta get him outta here –'

There was a rush of movement as the class cleared a path to the gate in the fence. Hagrid lifted Malfoy up into his arms as easily as he did to Harry earlier. I felt the ground shake beneath me as he took large fast strides across the paddock and out through the fence. The sound of several pairs of footsteps began to fade away as the class left behind him. I remained where I was, keeping my arms wrapped around me. I swallowed as my lower body seared in pain, struggling to keep my breathing even. Beneath my fingers I could feel a small trickle of blood start to escape through them.

'Jenna, are you all right?' came Hermione's concerned voice.

I felt a pair of hands take hold of my arm to pull me to my feet. I fought against them not wanting to release the pressure I was putting on my stomach. Against my will, Harry and Ron managed to get me to my feet but still I refused to remove my arms, hunching over as I attempted to stem the blood I knew was soaking through my shirt.

'Why did you do that?' Harry asked, steadying me. 'Malfoy's not worth the trouble.'

'N-not the time, Harry,' I said. My voice shook. 'C-can someone get me to the Hospital Wing?'

'Why?' asked Ron.

I sent him a dark look then reluctantly removed my arm from my waist. Three long streaks of blood stained the sleeve of my shirt while the entire lower half of my shirt and the waistband of my skirt had turned a dark red colour; beneath three long tears in my shirt were three long scratches crossing the width of my waist.

'Oh …'

I just managed to give Ron another scathing look now he'd realised what had happened before my knees finally buckled and I fell back to the ground. I hunched over once more, my arms clutching my waist and tears stinging at my eyes from the pain. Harry quickly pulled off his outer robe and handed it to Hermione. I felt him ease my arms away from my waist again and Hermione wrapped his robe around it, tying it in a tight knot and sealing it with a Fixing Charm to stem the blood long enough for them to get me to the Hospital Wing. Harry then bent down in front of me and lifted my arms over his shoulders, picking me up so I was leant against his back. I could feel Hermione's hand on my back as she made sure I didn't slump backwards and fall off. I buried my face into his shoulder as Harry carried me out of the paddock and back up to the castle.

'Don't worry, Jenna,' Harry told me. 'Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal you in no time.'

I gave a feeble moan in response. I didn't know how much blood I'd lost but it was enough for me to feel very dizzy.

'What about Malfoy?' I heard Hermione ask. 'D'you think he'll be all right?'

''Course he will,' said Harry angrily. 'Jenna stopped him from getting the brunt of Buckbeak's attack. He got off lightly. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second.'

'That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?' said Ron. 'Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him.'

'Only because he's too stupid to listen to him,' I mumbled. 'Shouldn't insult a Hippogriff …'

Harry carried me back up to the castle, Ron and Hermione keeping a close eye on me as they walked, and straight up the Clock Tower towards the Hospital Wing. They pushed open the Hospital Wing door and took me inside. Harry called out to Madam Pomfrey. She looked up from where she had been tending to Malfoy's arm, instantly abandoning him when she saw me slumped over Harry's shoulders. Madam Pomfrey instructed him to lie me down on the nearest bed then step back so she could examine me. Harry turned round and I felt him rest me on the edge of the bed. I let out a moan of pain as Hermione helped lower me backwards on to it. Tears fell from my closed eyes, flowing down my cheeks when I opened them to stare at the blurry ceiling above me. With a tap of her wand, Madam Pomfrey cancelled Hermione's spell on Harry's robe and removed it from my waist. She whispered another couple of spells and I felt the blood flow finally begin to recede.

'Good heavens,' she said when she saw the cuts in my waist. 'She should have been brought straight to me! Why didn't Hagrid bring her up with Mr Malfoy?'

'Hagrid didn't know Jenna had been scratched,' said Harry instantly. 'Malfoy was being so over dramatic about it that Hagrid didn't even notice Jenna was hurt.'

'She'd pushed Malfoy out the way,' said Hermione. 'It all happened so fast and they were both knocked to the ground but it looked like Jenna had avoided the Hippogriff's talons. We didn't know she'd been scratched until we tried to help her up.'

'Well, Miss Black's been very lucky,' said Madam Pomfrey. I felt her hands lift my shirt and her fingers touch my stomach as she looked at the scratches. 'The cuts aren't that deep but she'll have to be kept in the Hospital Wing for the next few days so that they get the chance to heal properly. There will be some scarring but that will fade over time.'

'What about Malfoy?' asked Ron.

'Mr Malfoy's injuries are minor,' said Madam Pomfrey dismissively. 'It appears Miss Black's actions saved him from worse injuries. Hippogriff claws can cut through skin like a Slicing Charm cuts through fabric. He should be very grateful Miss Black acted immediately when the Hippogriff attacked.'

'Only because he insulted it in the first place,' I heard Harry mutter to Ron and Hermione. I glanced over at them, unable to agree but knowing full well they were right. I bet Malfoy had avoided that bit when he'd told Madam Pomfrey what happened. As for Hagrid, at that moment I didn't want to think what state he was in after what had happened in his very first lesson.

I spent the next few days in the Hospital Wing with my waist wrapped in bandages unable to move from the pain. I could only just sit up in bed with the help of some pillows without causing myself any more injury. Across from me, Malfoy had his right arm wrapped in bandages and held up by a sling. Twice a day Madam Pomfrey removed our bandages and applied several spells to them to make sure they healed properly without the risk of too much scarring before wrapping the injuries once more in the protective material. I certainly didn't appreciate being Immobilised and then Levitated off my bed so that Madam Pomfrey could bind my waist but it was the easiest way to do it without me wincing as I couldn't sit or stand straight for nearly two days after the attack.

Harry, Ron and Hermione visited me the next day to see how I was and to give me any homework I had to work on – if I wanted to, in Ron's opinion – having missed class. I was just relieved I hadn't missed Lupin's first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson; I would have been gutted if I had. They also brought news on how Hagrid was. I was relieved to hear that he had not been sacked but he was afraid he was going to be. The Board of Governors for the school had been informed and there was a pending investigation into what happened. Unfortunately, when Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone to visit him, Hagrid had been drowning his sorrows and so unable to tell them much more before he sobered up and marched them straight back up to the castle when he realised Harry was in the grounds after dark.

On Wednesday lunchtime I saw Crabbe and Goyle slink into the Hospital Wing to visit Malfoy. I kept my head down so it wouldn't look like I was listening in on their conversation, pretending to be interested in my Charms homework. He told them how he was glad that Buckbeak had attacked him, as now it was a sure fire way for him to get Hagrid fired as it would be his word against Hagrid's over what had happened. I frowned, not liking the sound of what he appeared to be planning, especially when I overheard him mention his father. Lucius Malfoy had a lot of influence as I saw last year when he managed to get the Board of Governors to sack Dumbledore last year. I would bet anything that Malfoy would somehow lie about not following Hagrid's instructions in order to ensure Hagrid got sacked.

On Thursday morning Madam Pomfrey checked over mine and Malfoy's injuries and applied one last round of spells before re-wrapping them and allowing us to leave the Hospital Wing. Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't there to meet me as classes had already started by the time Madam Pomfrey let us go so I made my way down to the dungeons for my Potions class alone. Well, I wasn't completely alone as Malfoy was strutting along ahead of me with a smirk on his face. It was a slow walk as my lower body was still stiff from spending the last two days lying flat on my back or propped up on hard hospital pillows. I eventually made it to Potions, walking into the dungeon just after Malfoy. Snape's eyes turned on us as we entered.

'You are late,' said Snape slowly. Snape's black eyes turned on us. They took in Malfoy's bandaged arm before appraising me. I stared back warily. Malfoy boldly strode into the dungeon, making sure everyone could see his bandaged arm, to where Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were sitting. 'Five points from Gryffindor, Black,' Snape then said, turning back to the parchment in front of him on his desk. 'I will not have students late for my classes without a valid reason.'

'I've been in the Hospital Wing, sir,' I responded. I put my bag down beside Hermione but didn't take a seat. 'Malfoy and I both have.'

'I see no evidence of injury, Black,' said Snape curtly. 'Now sit down and get on with your Shrinking Solution before I take any more points.'

I saw Harry made to object but I put a hand on his arm to stop him. He glanced at me and I shook my head.

'Don't worry about it,' I muttered. We both knew Malfoy and the other Slytherins always got away with things while under Snape's watch. I carefully sat down on the bench still unable to bend properly at the waist. 'I've lost more points than that before.'

Harry returned to his potion while Hermione showed me what we were making in our textbooks so I could catch up in what was left of the lesson. We worked in silence, the only noises in the dungeons coming from the burning fires beneath our cauldrons and the bubbling of their contents. And that of Malfoy's boasting.

'How is it, Draco?' Pansy asked him. 'Does it hurt much?'

'Yeah,' said Malfoy in mock bravery. I glanced at him just as he winked at Crabbe and Goyle. 'The pain comes and goes. If it hadn't of been for Madam Pomfrey, I could have lost my arm.'

'Settle down, settle down,' Snape called idly.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at Malfoy's sycophantic behaviour. His injuries were no worse than mine.

Having gotten to class so late there were very few available seats left in the dungeons meaning Malfoy and I had little choice in where to sit. While I had been lucky to get a seat next to Hermione with Harry and Ron opposite us, the other tables with the Slytherins sitting at them were all full. There was only one remaining seat on the same table as us that Malfoy proceeded to take. Unsurprisingly Malfoy decided to use this to his full advantage.

'Sir,' Malfoy called after a few minute's work, 'sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm –'

'Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him,' said Snape, not looking up from his desk.

The four of us looked at each other. Ron's ears had gone red.

'There's nothing wrong with your arm,' Ron hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked at him.

'Weasley, you heard Professor Snape, cut up these roots.'

Clearly seething, Ron pulled Malfoy's roots towards him and began cutting them haphazardly as opposed to the how it was written in the book.

'Professor,' called Malfoy again, 'Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir.'

Snape put down his quill and got up. He strode over to our table and peered down at the roots in front of Ron.

'Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley. _Now_.'

With a very dark glare in Malfoy's direction Ron gave over the roots he'd carefully prepared for his potion.

'And, sir, I'll need this Shrivelfig skinned,' said Malfoy.

'Potter, you can skin Malfoy's Shrivelfig,' said Snape.

Harry did so, practically throwing Malfoy's Shrivelfig back across the table when he was done. If it was possible, Malfoy's smirk broadened even more.

'Seen your pal Hagrid, lately?' he asked us, his voice lowered so Snape wouldn't overhear.

'None of your business,' hissed Ron.

'I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer,' said Malfoy in mock sorrow. 'Father's not very happy about my injury –'

'Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury,' growled Ron.

'– he's complained to the school governors. _And_ to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this –' he gave a fake sigh, 'who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?'

'You and I both know that's a load of crap, Malfoy,' I said, trying my best to keep a lid on my annoyance. 'You got off lightly thanks to me.'

'I do,' smirked Malfoy, 'but they don't, do they? All I have to do is claim it was because of that oaf's incompetence and he'll be sacked for sure.'

'So that's why you're putting it on,' said Harry. He wasn't concentrating and decapitated his caterpillar. 'To try and get Hagrid sacked.'

'Well,' said Malfoy, lowering his voice to just a whisper, ' _partly_ , Potter. But there are other benefits, too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me.'

'Orange, Longbottom,' came Snape's voice across the classroom where Neville was sitting with Seamus, Dean and Parvati. I looked up, distracted by Snape's disapproving sneer at Neville's potion. He ladled some and let it slop back into the cauldron, the solution a bright orange as opposed to the acid green it was meant to be. 'Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours?' sneered Snape, glaring down his hooked nose at Neville. 'Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?'

Neville shrank back into his seat, visibly shaking and his face bright red. It was common knowledge that Neville hated Potions lessons as Snape always criticised his work and he spent most of the lessons nervously making his potions that inevitably went wrong because of it. I felt sorry for Neville almost every lesson as we would watch Snape belittle him in front of everyone. While Snape had a confusing but somewhat understandable loathing for Harry, his hatred of Neville seemed completely unfounded and just pure bullying.

'Please, sir,' said Hermione, 'please, I could help Neville put it right –'

'I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger,' said Snape coldly. Hermione flushed pink. 'Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly.'

Snape strode off to look at Daphne's potion on the next table. Neville looked at Hermione helplessly.

'Help me!' he mouthed.

'Hey, Harry,' said Seamus. He leaned back in his seat beside Dean to borrow his scales, 'have you heard? _Daily Prophet_ this morning – they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted.'

My head instantly jerked up when I heard Black's name, a look of alarm on it. I quickly masked it when I saw Malfoy had seen my reaction and was smirking at me.

'Where?' asked Harry and Ron.

'Not too far from here,' said Seamus excitedly. 'It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hotline. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone.'

'Not too far from here …' repeated Ron. He looked at Harry nervously. He then noticed Malfoy was also listening in to what was being said. 'What, Malfoy? Need something else skinning?'

'Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?' said Malfoy, the corner of his eye still on me.

'Yeah, that's right,' shrugged Harry.

Malfoy smiled. I swallowed, worried what might be said next.

'Of course, if it was me,' said Malfoy quietly, 'I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him. 'Course, I don't know what Black might think of you doing that.'

'What are you talking about, Malfoy?' said Ron, irritated.

'What's that supposed to mean?' asked Harry. He looked at me, confused by Malfoy's statement.

'Just wondering what Black would think of you going after Sirius Black,' said Malfoy casually, giving me a very deliberate look.

'I have no opinion on it,' I said. I did my best to keep my voice steady. 'I'd rather Harry didn't go after him,' I shrugged, 'and I know he's not stupid enough to do so.'

'Doesn't Potter _know_?' breathed Malfoy.

'Know what?' asked Harry. I looked at Malfoy nervously. He gave a nasty quiet laugh.

'Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck,' said Malfoy. 'Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself.'

' _What are you talking about?_ ' demanded Harry angrily.

Before Malfoy could answer, Snape called, 'You should have finished adding your ingredients by now. This potion needs to stew before it can be drunk; clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's …'

I lowered the flame beneath my cauldron and left it to simmer as I gathered up all my equipment. Across from us, Neville was feverishly stirring his as Hermione whispered last minute instructions to him. I kept my eyes lowered and glanced over at Malfoy. He had a very pleased look on his face at what he'd just done as he spoke to Crabbe and Goyle who both laughed at what he told them.

'What did Malfoy mean?' I heard Harry ask Ron. 'Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me – yet.'

'He's making it up,' said Ron, 'he's trying to make you do something stupid …'

'What about Jenna, though?' Harry then said. I started when I heard my name. Carefully I turned enough to catch Harry glance at me, my eyes not leaving my bag to make it look like I wasn't listening to them. 'That's twice now Malfoy's suggested Jenna knows something about Black.'

'Does she?' whispered Ron.

'I told you on the train, Jenna doesn't know who her father is,' said Harry. 'I don't deny that she could be related to him because of their surnames and you told me how loads of large wizard families are related to each other, but I think she'd know if someone like Black was her father.'

I paused what I was doing when I heard Harry defend me again. Guilt rose up in my chest at the fact I _did_ know something Harry didn't about Black, and that I _did_ know he was my father. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him, knowing how much the truth would hurt him.

'Everyone gather round,' instructed Snape, once we had put away our things, 'and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned.'

Snape picked up Neville's toad, Trevor, in one hand and dipped a spoon into Neville's now green potion. Holding the toad tipped backwards, Snape let a few drops of the potion drip into Trevor's mouth. Silence followed as the class watched Trevor swallow the potion and we waited for a reaction. Suddenly there was a faint _pop_ and the once adult toad was now a wriggling black tadpole in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors, relieved, burst into applause while the Slytherins were clearly disappointed that the potion had worked. Snape was livid. From his pocket he took out the antidote and dripped a bit of it on to Trevor, who reappeared fully-grown seconds later.

'Five points from Gryffindor,' said Snape, wiping the smiles off everyone's faces. 'I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed.'

There was a mutter of outrage at Snape's deducting of yet another five points from Gryffindor for a successful potion. Nonetheless, we gathered our things and left the dungeon to return to the main castle. Ron was unsurprisingly seething for Snape's actions.

'Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right!' said Ron angrily. 'Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should have said Neville did it all by himself!'

I waited for Hermione's inevitable biting response but for some reason it didn't come. I looked to my left where Hermione had been seconds previously to find she was gone. Harry and Ron had noticed too.

'She was right behind us,' said Ron, frowning.

'There she is,' said Harry.

Harry pointed to where Hermione was rushing back up the staircase from the dungeons we had climbed not two minutes ago. She was desperately trying to keep hold on to her bag as she struggled to fit a large book back into it while also tucking something down the front of her shirt.

'How did you do that?' asked Ron.

'What?' said Hermione.

'One minute you were right behind us, and next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again,' said Ron.

'What?' Hermione gave him a startled look. 'Oh – I had to go back for something. Oh no …'

There was a loud rip and the contents of Hermione's bag spilled on to the floor as the seam split in two. Several large textbooks tumbled out on to the floor. I bent down to help Hermione pick them up. For some reason she had books with her that she didn't even have classes for today.

'Why are you carrying all these around with you?' Ron asked.

'You know how many subjects I'm taking,' said Hermione breathlessly. 'Couldn't hold these for me, could you?'

She shoved some of her textbooks into Ron's hands as she picked up her quills and inks.

'But –' Ron turned over the books to look at their covers, 'you haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defence Against the Dark Arts this afternoon.'

'Oh yes,' said Hermione. She took out her wand and tapped her bag. With a single word the bag began to stitch itself back together allowing Hermione to put the contents back inside it. Something made me think Hermione would benefit from an Extension Charm on it so she could fit all her books into it, considering it was a Muggle bag and so had its limits. Unfortunately I didn't know how to do one. 'I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving,' Hermione said as she did this.

Hermione clicked the flap of her bag shut and walked off. I followed, deciding it was probably best not to probe too deep into Hermione's distractedness. That and I was looking forward to some non-Hospital Wing food. I hadn't had a decent meal in two days.

Perhaps it was to be expected, but I was very excited for Lupin's first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson and was curious as to what he might have in store for us. While we ate our lunch Harry, Ron and Hermione took the opportunity to ask me about what Lupin was like. I presumed this was so they could get a rough idea of what they were going to be in store for. After two Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers already I think we were all hoping for one who might actually last longer than a year and be half-decent at the job. Ignoring the fact Voldemort was living in Quirrell's body, his lessons were not actually that interesting but we learnt enough to pass our exams in first-year; as for Lockhart, I dreaded every time I knew a lesson with him was around the corner and was very surprised when I passed my second-year exam after a year of his teaching. I couldn't say for sure what Lupin was going to be like as a teacher but I did assure them that his knowledge on defensive magic and dark creatures was very impressive.

'Let's just hope he lasts,' said Ron as we got up to leave the Great Hall. 'He didn't look that up to it when we saw him on the train.'

'Appearances can be deceiving, Ron,' I told him confidently. While I knew he, Harry and Hermione would take that at face value, I knew as I said it how many meanings those words had when used in regards to Lupin as well as to myself. There was a lot more to both of us than meets the eye.

Professor Lupin wasn't there when we entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. I looked around, curious as to why he wasn't there. The door to his office was closed and there was nothing set up in the classroom. Where was he? It was obvious I wasn't the only person thinking this as a whisper was going round the class as we took our seats to wait for Professor Lupin to arrive.

The door opened a few minutes after we had all got out our books and quills. We looked round when we heard Professor Lupin enter. I couldn't help but smile. He was looking much better having recovered from the recent full moon. Professor Lupin gave a vague smile and walked between the desks to his own at the front of the classroom. He placed his old briefcase on to his desk then turned to look at us. There was a silence as he appraised us and we stared back expectantly at him. I almost smirked, loving how casually Professor Lupin stood there with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, an almost unbothered look on his tired face at the fact he was meant to be taking a class.

'Good afternoon,' said Professor Lupin finally. 'Would you please all put your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands.'

A nervous whisper broke the silence. We hadn't had a practical Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson since Lockhart's one with the pixies. I had to admit even I was a little apprehensive now. Slowly we packed away are things, leaving only our wands on our desks.

'Right then,' said Professor Lupin, once we were ready, 'if you'd follow me.'

Profess Lupin, hands still in his pockets, strode back across the classroom and opened the door. Several puzzled looks were exchanged as we gathered our bags and picked up our wands. We walked out of the door Professor Lupin held open for us and back down the spiral staircase of the Dark Arts Tower to wait for him. Professor Lupin joined us minutes later then led us out of the third floor and down the Changing Staircase. We walked in silence after him all the way back down to the Entrance Hall and down a corridor that I recognised to lead to the staffroom. We followed Professor Lupin down the corridor and round the corner where we were met by the sight of Peeves the poltergeist attempting to stuff a piece of chewing gum into the nearest keyhole.

Peeves looked up from his task when he heard us approaching him. His face took on a wild look of glee and his eyes widened. He twitched his curly-toed feet in what looked like some strange sort of dance then broke into a song.

'Loony, loopy Lupin,' he sang. Peeves began to bob about in the air in front of us. As rude as Peeves always was, this was the first time I'd ever seen him openly insult a teacher. Normally he had a little more of a begrudging respect for them. Professor Lupin merely watched on. 'Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin.'

'I'd take that gum out of the keyhole, if I were you, Peeves,' said Professor Lupin in his usual mild tone. 'Mr Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms.'

Peeves stopped his song only long enough to blow a large, wet raspberry. The class waited for Professor Lupin's response. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

'This is a useful little spell,' Professor Lupin told the class over his shoulder. 'Please watch closely.' He raised his wand level to his shoulder and pointed it at Peeves. ' _Waddiwasi!_ '

The gum shot out of the keyhole like a Muggle bullet and went straight up Peeves's left nostril. Peeves flung himself backwards in shock, doing a backward roll in midair. He then zoomed off loudly cursing down the corridor and out of sight.

'Cool, sir!' said Dean loudly.

'Thank you, Dean,' said Professor Lupin. He put his wand back into his robes. 'Shall we proceed?'

Professor Lupin continued down a second corridor before stopping at a large wooden door that belonged to the staffroom. He opened it and stood to one side to allow us in.

'Inside, please,' he told us.

I had never been inside the staffroom before. I looked around with great curiosity at this rarely to be seen room. It was a long rectangular room that had wooden panels lining its walls, paintings and bookcase resting upon them. The room was full of assorted and mismatched furniture from ornate wooden tables, velvet covered chairs and – most interestingly – a large wooden wardrobe. As I looked around I saw that we were not alone. Seated with his back to us in a low armchair, I recognised the black curtain of hair that belonged to Snape. He turned just enough for his black eyes to fall upon us, and a nasty sneer formed on his lips. Just to my right I heard a tiny muffled squeak I knew to be Neville. He stood when he saw Professor Lupin start to close the door.

'Leave it open, Lupin,' sneered Snape, striding through our group. 'I'd rather not witness this.' He was almost out of the room but paused at the door. He looked once more at our group, his eyes picking up on Neville trying to hide behind Seamus, and added, 'Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear.'

Neville went bright red and ducked even further behind Seamus. Professor Lupin glanced at Neville, his eyebrows raised, then back at Snape.

'I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation,' he said, 'and I am sure he will perform it admirably.'

If it was possible, Neville's face went even redder. Snape's lip curled angrily that Professor Lupin had countered his demeaning remark. He turned on his heel and exited the staffroom. The door slammed shut behind him.

'Now then,' said Professor Lupin. He walked through us and over to where the wardrobe was stood in the centre of the room. He waved his hand for us to come over. The class approached him. Without warning the wardrobe gave a violent shudder, the mirror on its door rattling dangerously. Almost everyone took a step back again. 'Nothing to worry about,' said Professor Lupin calmly as if nothing had happened. He began to pace around where we stood. 'Nothing to worry about. It is intriguing though, isn't it?' he said slowly. 'Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?'

I watched the wardrobe as it shuddered again. None of the class seemed too keen to get any closer nor had any clue of what it was that was causing it to shake. My eyes narrowed, however, as I had a wild thought of what it could be.

'That's a Boggart,' I said.

'Very good, Jenna,' said Professor Lupin, smiling. 'There is indeed a Boggart in there. Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks – I once met one that had lodged itself inside a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third-years some practice.

'So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?'

Hermione raised her hand. Professor Lupin nodded at her.

'It's a shape-shifter,' said Hermione. 'It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most. That's what makes them so –'

'So terrifying, yes, couldn't have put it better myself,' said Professor Lupin. The wardrobe gave another violent shake. Professor Lupin glanced back at it then back to us, not even phased by the interruption. 'So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

'This means,' continued Professor Lupin, ignoring Neville's choked squeak, 'that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?'

'Er – because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?' replied Harry unsurely.

'Precisely,' said Professor Lupin. I saw Hermione sadly put her hand down; I smiled at the sight of her not being the one to give the correct answer for once. 'It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should I become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake – tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself in half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

'The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet requires force of mind,' Professor Lupin told us. 'You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

'We will practise the charm without wands first. After me, please … _Riddikulus!_ '

' _Riddikulus!_ ' chorused the class.

'Good,' said Professor Lupin. 'Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville.'

The wardrobe shook again. From the back of the group, Neville made his way forwards to Professor Lupin. He had gone from being bright red to now as white as a sheet. He wasn't looking forward to this.

'Right, Neville,' said Professor Lupin. 'First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world.'

Neville's mouth opened but no sound came out.

'Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry,' said Professor Lupin.

Neville, panicked, looked pleadingly at the other Gryffindors before swallowing, and saying, 'Professor Snape.' The class laughed. Even Neville managed a tiny grin in apology.

'Professor Snape, yes …' repeated Professor Lupin wistfully, 'frightens all … hmmm … Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?'

'Er – yes,' replied Neville nervously. 'But – I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either.'

The class laughed again.

'No, no, you misunderstand me,' clarified Professor Lupin as the wardrobe shook. He glanced at it. 'It won't. I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?'

'Well …' Neville started, unsure as to why he had to tell us this, 'always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress … green, normally … and sometimes a fox-fur scarf.'

'And a handbag?' asked Professor Lupin.

'A big red one,' said Neville.

'Right then,' said Professor Lupin cheerfully. 'Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?'

'Yes,' stuttered Neville.

'When the Boggart bursts from out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape,' Professor Lupin told him. 'And you will raise your wand – thus – and cry "Riddikulus" – and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag.'

I couldn't help but laugh at that image and yet I'd only imagined it so far. We were all yet to see the sight of Boggart Snape dressed in a green dress with a big handbag.

'If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn,' said Professor Lupin. 'I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you the most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical …'

I did as instructed and searched my mind for what scares me. There were several things I was scared of. I didn't particularly like enclosed spaces though I wasn't truly scared of them; I had a bit of an aversion to reptiles but again, not bad enough that a Boggart would scare me if it turned into one; and there were the Dementors, they were horrible creatures but even they didn't seem to be enough. Suddenly the photo of Sirius Black standing in his cell and being held back by a pair of Aurors came to mind. I felt a chill go down my spine as I thought about what Black had done and what he meant to me and what would happen if people found out his relation to me. If Harry ever found out.

'Everyone ready?' called Professor Lupin. I looked at him. His eye caught mine and I saw a glint of concern in it, knowing already what my Boggart would change into. I swallowed and gave a slight nod that only he could see.

'Neville,' Professor Lupin then said, 'we're going to back away. Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward … everyone back now, so Neville can get a clear shot –'

I stepped back along with the rest of the class, carefully positioning myself behind Harry, Ron and Hermione and as near to the back of the group as I could manage.

'Wand at the ready,' instructed Professor Lupin, taking out his own. 'On the count of three, Neville. One – two – three – _now_!'

A tiny whistle sounded. The handle of the wardrobe door twisted and clicked open. The door swung slowly open. A hand appeared on the doorframe and from the darkness appeared a virtually indistinguishable twin of Snape. He peered down his hooked nose at us all standing in front of him before his black eyes landed on Neville. He stepped out of the wardrobe, the door swinging shut behind him, and strode in the exact same manner as the real Snape towards where Neville stood, his black robes billowing like a bat's wing behind him. Neville took a scared step backwards, his wand shaking. Snape was almost upon him and was glaring maliciously down at him.

' _R-r-ridduikuls!_ ' squeaked Neville.

The sound of a whip cracking broke the silence. The Boggart Snape stumbled. His black robes vanished and were quickly replaced by an awful green carpet dress that stopped just short of his knees and exposed a pair of grey stockings and black heeled shoes. A ghastly hat with a stuffed vulture on it now sat on Boggart Snape's greasy hair and there was a dead fox shawl round his neck. In his hand was a large red handbag. The class roared with laughter at the sight of the Boggart Snape as he stumbled around, unsure what had happened.

'Excellent!' shouted Professor Lupin. He walked over to the side of the room where I saw my grandmother's old gramophone was sat on a desk; he must have brought it with him from home. Professor Lupin lifted the pin and rested it on to the record sat on the wheel. 'Excellent, form a line. I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most and turn it into something funny. Parvati, forward!'

A drumbeat started soon replaced by some jazz-like music. Parvati stepped forwards with her wand in her hand and faced the Boggart Snape. The Boggart Snape's eyes fell on her and he straightened up. He span on the spot and soon became a blur of shapes and colours as the Boggart changed into whatever Parvati feared. Where Snape had stood moments before now stood a bloodstained bandaged mummy. Its faceless head turned towards Parvati and began to stumble towards her. Face set Parvati pointed her wand at it.

' _Riddikulus!_ '

The mummy tripped as it stood on a loose bandage coming from its knee. The bandage was pulled and began to unravel at its feet, wrapping itself around its legs until the mummy fell forwards flat on its face. The head fell off and rolled around on the wooden floorboards. The class laughed again.

'Seamus!' roared Professor Lupin.

 _Crack!_ The mummy was replaced the moment it saw Seamus. A woman with straggly floor length hair stood in its place. Her skin looked wrinkled and tinged a sickly green. She lifted her face enough to look at us then opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream. We covered our ears as Seamus's banshee continued to wail without stopping for a breath.

' _Riddikulus!_ ' shouted Seamus.

The scream suddenly cut out. The banshee grasped at her throat now no sound came out of it gaining more and more laughter from the class. Lavender went next. _Crack!_ The Boggart span and a large rat landed with a thump on the floor. Lavender shouted the spell and the rat started to chase its tail round and round in circles. Sally-Anne was called forwards by Professor Lupin. _Crack!_ The Boggart changed again into a rattlesnake. It slithered along the floor towards her but she pointed her wand and said the spell. The snake lunged forwards only to suddenly turn into a Jack-in-the-box.

'It's confused!' shouted Professor Lupin. 'We're getting there! Dean!'

Dean rushed forwards eagerly, wand ready.

 _Crack!_ The Jack-in-the-box was gone and a large severed hand flopped about on the floor.

' _Riddikulus!_ '

The hand bounced once more then – snap! – it was caught in a large mousetrap.

'Excellent! Ron, you next!'

The moment the Boggart saw Ron, it span and transformed again, this time into a huge spider. It clicked its front pincers threateningly at Ron. Ron let out a whimper and his wand shook. Professor Lupin must have seen his fear, knowing that Ron was genuinely arachnophobic after I told him about his and Harry's trip into the Forbidden Forest last year where they met Arogog the Acromantula.

'Wand at the ready, Ron,' encouraged Professor Lupin, 'wand at the ready.'

' _Riddikulus!_ ' shouted Ron.

The legs vanished. The class was in absolute hysterics by now after all the different things the Boggart had been forced to look like. I watched as Lupin laughed along with us, a part of me hoping he wasn't going to call on me next. If he had seen my look, he would know whom my Boggart would turn into and I didn't want that to happen. The Boggart spider rolled around helplessly on the floor and came to a stop at Harry's feet beside me. I hesitated and stepped back, making Harry its target.

 _Crack!_

Harry stared at the spider's body, a grin still on his face. Slowly, however, his smile vanished. I watched as his eyes took on a distant look as he thought about what he feared the most. The Boggart saw him. The spider's body lifted up off the floor and spun in a whirl of shape and colour. From the blur of its changing form rose a large black cloak without a face and rotten hands. The Dementor reared in front of Harry and let out a terrible snarl. Forgetting my fear I instantly grabbed Harry's arm to pull him away from the Dementor; it was one thing fainting in front of his friends on the train, another fainting in front of his class. At the same time Professor Lupin, who had been watching Harry closely, rushed forwards and stepped in front of Harry with his arms outstretched so Harry was completely blocked from the Boggart's sight. The Boggart saw him and changed into a strange black mist. It didn't spin and blur as long this time as the Dementor's robes easily changed into darkened clouds that revealed a silvery orb behind them. I swallowed in fear as I saw the full moon hang in the air in front of Professor Lupin.

' _Riddikulus!_ ' said Professor Lupin unfazed.

The Boggart moon let out a squeal and changed into a rapidly deflating balloon. It flew around in front of Lupin who took a step away.

'Forward, Neville, and finish him off!' instructed Professor Lupin.

The balloon fell on to the floor in front of Neville. The Boggart Snape reappeared once more before swiftly changing back into the horrible green dress of Neville's grandmother. With one loud final laugh from Neville, the Boggart exploded and burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke. Professor Lupin waved his wand in a great arc and the wisps gathered themselves us. He thrust his wand at the wardrobe sending the wisps flying into it. The door opened and the wisps went inside, slamming shut again afterwards. The class broke into a round of applause at their achievement.

'Excellent!' cried Professor Lupin. 'Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. Let me see … five points to Gryffindor for every person to tacke the Boggart – ten for Neville because he did it twice – and five each to Jenna, Hermione and Harry.'

'But I didn't do anything,' said Harry.

'You, Hermione and Jenna answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry,' said Professor Lupin lightly. 'Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarise it for me … to be handed in on Monday. That will be all.'

The class grabbed their bags from the back of the staffroom and began to file out. As I picked mine up I looked back at Lupin to see him watching us, his eyes focused on Harry and me. I glanced at Harry then back at Lupin. I mouthed _thank you_ at him for both not making me face the Boggart and for protecting Harry from the Boggart Dementor, then turned away to leave with Harry, Ron and Hermione. We followed behind the rest of them, everyone buzzing from the exciting lesson.

'Did you see me take that banshee?' shouted Seamus.

'And the hand!' laughed Dean.

'And Snape in that hat!'

'And my mummy!'

'I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?' I heard Lavender say out loud.

I stopped walking, worried by her comment. Sure she had thought it had been a crystal ball that had appeared in front of Lupin, but who was to say other people hadn't realised that it had been a full moon. That was the greatest fear I knew Lupin to have; he dreaded every full moon that approached, knowing in a matter of moments he would no longer be himself, a wild beast taking his conscious place. I felt a rush of sorrow pass over me as I thought this. Poor Lupin, having to deal with such a horrible curse.

'Jenna?' I looked up to see Harry, Ron and Hermione had noticed I'd stopped. They were all watching me. 'Are you OK?'

'Yeah, I'm fine,' I said. I forced a smile on to my face.

'That was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson we've every had, wasn't it?' said Ron enthusiastically as we carried on.

'He seems a very good teacher,' Hermione said approvingly. 'But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart –'

'What would it have been for you?' sniggered Ron. 'A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?'

I glanced at Ron as he said that. While laughter was what was used to fight off a Boggart, fear wasn't something that should be taken so lightly. Fear had the power to consume a person and render them powerless if not dealt with head on. Everyone had something they feared, some things more personal than others – like Lupin's fear of the full moon. How we dealt with our fears was the true way to defeat them. The thought of Black crossed my mind once more. If Harry had seen the Boggart turn into Black I knew I would have to explain things afterwards. For now, my fear and secret was still safe and I pushed it from my mind as we walked down to dinner.

* * *

 **AN: another chapter done, and I have to say I really like how Prisoner of Azkaban is changing. I remember in the original Jenna states that she had never lied to Harry and so I thought by having Harry defend her about Black would hopefully enforce this and thus the discovery would hurt even more for him later on. I also enjoyed writing more deeply about Jenna's confrontation with Malfoy and adding more blackmail and hints to Harry about Jenna's secret and the other little additions like her being taken to the Hospital Wing and her reaction in the Boggart class. I hope you've enjoyed it too**


	16. Uneasy Feelings

Chapter 15

Uneasy Feelings

My uneasy feeling remained through dinner as I listened to Harry, Ron and Hermione reflect on the past week's worth of lessons. I quietly ate my dinner without giving much input to the conversation itself. Black was still on my mind. Somehow, he had managed to worm his way into my thoughts almost every day of this week. There was the Grim from our first Divination lesson that had made me question something I couldn't remember from when I was younger but somehow made me think of Black; Professor McGonagall had taught us about Animagi, of which Black was one; I'd found out in Potions from Seamus that Black had been spotted nearby by a Muggle; and then there was the Boggart, which would have shown everyone that I was scared of him, probably more so than most.

To make matters worse, Malfoy seemed determined to make Harry question me, taking any opportunity he could to stir up trouble that I knew was eventually going to come out anyway. I was just lucky Harry had chosen not to listen to Malfoy's taunts, therefore buying me more time to think about what to do when Harry eventually found out who Black really was.

The main courses vanished and dessert was served. The remains of my spaghetti vanished from my plate and an empty bowl took its place. I helped myself to a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream but barely touched it. I looked round the Hall, my spoon prodding the magically non-melting balls of honeycomb and vanilla. The students and teachers were starting to depart having finished their meals. My eyes looked towards the teacher's table. I could just see Lupin saying something to Professor Flitwick before he turned away and walked down the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. In the quietening Hall, other student's voices were becoming clearer and I was able to pick out the odd sentences from various conversations. There was one in particular I heard, however, which made me frown.

'Look at the state of his robes,' said Malfoy's voice loudly from across the Hall. I shifted so I could see him from where I was sat. Malfoy was surrounded by the Slytherins in our year and by the sounds of it they had also been discussing our classes. 'He dresses like our old house-elf.'

Malfoy didn't even attempt to lower his voice when Lupin walked by where he and his friends were sat, instead carrying on as if he hadn't even seen him.

'My father would be appalled if he knew Dumbledore had hired someone as unprofessional as that Lupin as a teacher,' said Malfoy snobbishly. 'It's bad enough he's got that oaf teaching us, not that he'll be around for much longer, of course.'

'Jenna?' I looked round when I heard my name. It was Harry.

'What?' I asked.

'We're heading back to the Tower,' Harry said. 'Are you ready?'

'Um, yeah,' I said.

I left my uneaten ice cream and got up. I picked my bag up and slung it on to my shoulder. I followed Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the Hall but stopped moments later at the top of the Marble Staircase.

'You guys go on,' I said to them. 'I think I'm going to go visit my Uncle. Got something I want to ask him.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded and carried on up the Changing Staircase to head back up to the Gryffindor Tower. We separated on the second floor when the Staircases divided and I walked up the one that would take me to the third floor. I walked through the empty corridors back to the Dark Arts Tower and up its long spiralling staircase to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. I pushed open the door to see the candles inside the classroom had been extinguished. The only light was coming from inside Lupin's office at the back of the room, the door slightly ajar at the top of its small staircase. I crossed the classroom and walked up the stairs. I poked my head through the open door to see Lupin sat at his desk mulling over a piece of parchment in front of him.

'Knock, knock,' I said, announcing myself. Lupin looked up.

'Jenna, what brings you here?' said Lupin, surprised. He tapped the parchment on his desk with his wand. It rolled itself up then flew over into a cubbyhole in a cabinet behind his desk. 'Don't you have homework to do?'

'Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you,' I said.

'Oh?' said Lupin.

He indicated a seat in front of his desk for me to take. I dumped my bag by the door and sat down. I took a moment to look round Lupin's office. It seemed that he'd brought almost the entire contents of his office from Moonlake here with him. I recognised so many of the various tanks, instruments and books that filled the shelves as ones I'd seen before at home. It looked very different in decoration in comparison to how Lockhart had kept the office last year. Having appraised his office, I faced Lupin who was now sitting in the seat opposite me. I pulled my legs up so my feet rested on the base. I rested my arms on my knees.

'What is it you want to talk about?' asked Lupin.

I didn't respond straight away. I didn't know how to phrase what I wanted to say. Lupin remained silent as he waited for me to speak. In the end, I thought it best to start with what was bothering me. I told him about the Grim and Trelawney's prediction, about the article in the _Prophet_ Seamus had shown us, and about Malfoy's taunts to Harry about Black. Lupin listened, his eyes focused as he thought through what I said.

'Jenna, you mustn't worry about Black,' said Lupin once I'd finished. He got up and walked over to a table on the far side of his office that had a kettle on top of it. He gave it a tap with his wand then floated a couple of mugs over to him. 'Hot chocolate?' he asked. I nodded. Lupin set the drinks to make themselves, then returned to his seat. 'Even if Harry does find out what your connection to him is, you know he cannot blame you for it,' reasoned Lupin. 'You were only a baby at the time. How were you to know what Black was capable of?'

'I know,' I said. The mug of hot chocolate floated over to me. I took it and held the warm drink in my hands. I gave it a quick blow to cool the liquid then took a sip. 'I just – I don't like how everything is relating back to him. It's unnerving.'

'It's understandable that Black is on your mind,' said Lupin, 'and because of that, your mind is automatically trying to make connections to him. If you were to remove your thoughts of him, then he shall stop worrying you. In fact, I do have some good news that might take him off your mind.'

I gave Lupin a curious look. Lupin gave me a sort of half smile in response.

'I had a word with Professor Dumbledore a few days ago to discuss the full moons with him,' Lupin told me. 'He has requested Professor Snape to make the Wolfsbane Potion for me so that I am safe whenever the full moon is due, to which Professor Snape has agreed to do so, so I have no worries about not having access to the potion while I'm teaching.'

'That's good,' I said.

'I also spoke to Professor Dumbledore about how you join me during the full moon,' continued Lupin, 'and about your ability.'

'I thought I wasn't meant to tell anyone about that?' I said, confused.

'Professor Dumbledore was Headmaster back when your mother and I were both at school,' said Lupin. 'He was more than aware of Tala's ability, and so – unsurprisingly – he already knew that you possessed the same one.' I sat there silent, surprised by this news, then nodded. Lupin continued. 'I have requested if it would be all right for you to be present whenever I transform, assuring him that you are aware and always careful of the dangers the werewolf presents, and that you are actually a good influence on it. It appears my other self finds you rather calming.'

'What did Dumbledore say?' I asked.

'Professor Dumbledore has agreed, as long as the proper precautions are taken,' said Lupin. 'As long as you only transform within the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom or my office so you aren't seen, then he sees no reason you cannot join me while I'm locked away inside my office.'

I hadn't even considered what was going to happen with the full moons with Lupin teaching here, and whether or not I'd be able to be involved in them. But, like I had assumed when I tried to convince Lupin to take the position in the first place during the summer, Dumbledore had it all planned out. Lupin was right when he said it was good news. It just didn't do quite what Lupin had hoped for. It lifted my spirits for a moment at the thought of being able to spend the full moons with him, but then the thought of Black came back to my mind. It used to be him who had kept Lupin company during the full moon. The smile that had briefly graced my face vanished once more.

'Lupin,' I asked as he sipped his tea, 'what was Black like when you met him, before he went bad? You said you knew him at school and that he was one of your best friends.'

Lupin shifted in his chair. He cleared his throat, his moustache twitching.

'Why the sudden curiosity?' Lupin asked, countering my question with his own.

'I just want to know what he _was_ like, that's all,' I shrugged. 'Mum wrote a lot about him in her old diary. I just wanted to know what you thought of him.'

Lupin thought through my request. He placed his mug of tea in his lap, his hands cradling it as he sat silently in front of me.

'Your father was one of my best friends, as I've said before,' Lupin began, 'as were James Potter, Harry's father, and another boy called Peter Pettigrew. We were at school together, met the very first day on our way to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express. While we were all good friends, James was Black's best friend in a very similar way that Harry is yours, and they had, shall we say, a certain talent for trouble much like yourselves. We were known as the Marauders and had our own nicknames that we always used for each other when we were together. Those two wouldn't be seen without the other no matter where they went. The four of us were friends all our way through school, even after they found out about my being a werewolf during our second-year. To my surprise they stuck by me, even became Animagi in our fifth-year so that they could help me to bear it. They were best friends I'd ever had.

'After our first-year, your mother joined the school, and Black fell for her,' continued Lupin. 'Despite my disapproval of Black going after her due to his reputation, Tala, being as stubborn as she was, went against my wishes and confronted Black's feelings for her. They got together near the end of our fifth-year and, at the time, I had to admit I was wrong. Black truly seemed to care for her and they were together for a long time even though they had their bumps along the road.

'When we finished Hogwarts, James married Lily Evans, Harry's mother. Black was best man at their wedding, their friendship as strong as ever. James's family even took Black in when he ran away from home. They were practically like brothers. When you came along, Black doted on you, especially after Tala died. He always seemed to know how to stop you crying. You'd always laugh whenever he transformed in front of you. But behind closed doors, not everything was as it seemed and there was a lot of suspicion brewing between us.'

Lupin's voice changed. His usual mild tone turned serious as the story of Black got a lot darker.

'The wizarding world was gripped by fear in light of Voldemort's pursuit for power,' said Lupin. 'People were being killed or captured and Imperiused to do his bidding, and Voldemort steadily gained more and more followers. There were those who opposed him, under the leadership of Professor Dumbledore, including myself, Black, Peter, James and Lily. At some point, Professor Dumbledore discovered from one of his spies that Voldemort had marked James and Lily for death and so they went into hiding. Black, being James's most trusted friend, was used as their Secret-Keeper but unbeknownst to us all, Black had been working as a spy for Voldemort, and he handed them over without a second thought about his former best friend. And the rest, you already know.'

I thought about what Lupin had said, my mind picking at the little details I had already known. Nothing seemed unfamiliar to me or seemed to stand out as anything out of the ordinary when I pared it with previous conversations and knowledge I had about Black. I frowned though when I thought about what Lupin had said they had been called at school. The Marauders. I knew that term but as I thought it through, I realised Lupin had never used it in front of me before. But if Lupin had never mentioned it before then how did I know about the obscure nickname for their group?

'Do you have a picture of you together?' I asked, curious. Maybe seeing a photo of the four of them together from when they were at school might help me put together how I knew the term. I had only ever seen a photo of Lupin with James, Lily, Black and my Mum. I had never seen who this Peter Pettigrew was.

Lupin got up and went round his desk. He opened one of the top drawers and began to search for something inside it. A few minutes later he pulled out a small photo album. He placed it down on his desk and flicked through its pages, coming to a stop somewhere in the middle. He unclipped the photo from its slot and handed it to me. I took it, my eyes falling upon the people in it – four teenage boys standing with their arms around each other with broad smiles on their faces.

 _An alleyway … a woman with her back to the wall and a baby in her arms … three hooded men approaching her …_

I gasped, dropping the photo. I felt a pain in my head as those images crossed over my eyes. I looked up. Lupin was staring at me.

'Are you all right?' he asked.

'Yeah.'

I nodded and picked up the photo off the floor. My eyes examined it once more, this time without the added pain in my head. I looked at each of the boys in turn, identifying them by what I already knew of them. On the far right was Lupin, easily recognised, as he was the only one with light brown hair. In the middle were two black-haired boys, both of whom were grinning at something I wasn't to know about and they had their arms round each other's shoulders. The one next to Lupin had a pair of round glasses perched on his thin nose that were very similar to those that Harry wore; I knew this had to be his father, James. That meant that the boy next to him had to be Black. He had the same sleek black hair falling to his shoulders that I knew my father to have, having seen it in the old photographs I had of him and Mum from when they were younger. My eyes turned to the last boy on the far left. He was much shorter than the other three boys and much rounder in shape of body and face. I stared at him. Like Lupin, he had brown hair but it was much darker than his, mousey even. His face was afflicted by an outbreak of teenage spots and he had rather large front teeth visible as he smiled. There was something distinctly rodent-ish about him. Even his face seemed quite pointed despite its rounded cheeks.

'Is this Peter?' I asked, pointing at the boy on Black's right.

'Yes,' replied Lupin heavily. He took the photo from me and looked at it. 'Peter never was the most talented of wizards. He always needed James and Black's help with his schoolwork and when they became Animagi. Proved himself to be a brave wizard though when he stood up to Black the day he was killed. It was a pity he died. I can't begin to imagine how his mother felt when his finger was returned to her.'

I stared at Lupin for a few moments longer then looked back at the photo. I stared at the teenage Peter. I don't know how or why but he had been in the alley the day my Mum had died. I was sure of it. But had he been there to help her? Or had he been there to kill her?

'Yeah, pity.'

The weeks quickly progressed and Lupin's Defence Against the Dark Arts classes proved to be very popular with the majority of the students. It certainly felt good to hear all the nice comments people were making about his lessons. They were never boring and with each class Lupin had a new creature for us to study. Having covered Boggarts, we moved on to Red Caps, goblin-like creatures that lived in areas where there had been bloodshed such as old battlefieds; and after Red Caps, we did Kappas, a kind of water-monkey that lived in the murky lakes and rivers of Japan. With every lesson we learnt about the strengths and weaknesses of each of the creatures Lupin showed us, as well as learning how to deal with one because Lupin believed there was no better way to learn than through practical application of our knowledge.

Not all classes, however, were as exciting or as enjoyable as Lupin's. Potions in fact had gotten infinitely worse since the Boggart Snape incident. Somehow, like with all things that happen at Hogwarts, the news of Neville's Boggart turning into Snape in a green dress and vulture-topped hat had spread around the school and Snape had gotten wind of what had happened. Unsurprisingly, Snape didn't find it amusing in the slightest and so had become even more vindictive to the Gryffindors in our year and especially towards Neville whom he'd begun bullying worse than ever, and whenever he passed Lupin in the corridor or saw him at meals, his eyes flashed menacingly in his direction. If looks could kill, Lupin would be dead several times over by now.

As for our new subjects, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures were proving to be lessons I wish I hadn't chosen. Divination was basically an hour of sitting in a stifling hot room listening to Professor Trelawney waffle on about the different symbols and signs we should be looking for in our tea leaves and giving Harry saddened teary looks every time her enlarged eyes glanced at him. Only Parvati and Lavender seemed completely taken by the subject and were frequently seen heading back towards the North Tower, returning again at the end of lunch with a certain look of smugness on their face at something they'd found out. As for Care of Magical Creatures, despite the events of the first lesson, my hopes for an interesting subject to study had been dashed as Hagrid had lost all of his confidence and gave us nothing more than Flobberworms to tend to. After about the fourth lesson of looking after these useless slimy brown creatures, I was losing hope of anything better coming along for us to study.

'Why would anyone _bother_ looking after them?' muttered a frustrated Ron, poking lettuce at his rather fat specimen. 'They've got to be the most useless creature to ever exist.'

I had a feeling Ron was right about that one.

October soon arrived which meant that the Quidditch season was due to start in the following weeks. It also meant the weather began to get colder and wetter as the bright September sun melted away and the blue skies changed to a steely grey. Nevertheless Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, accosted Harry one evening in the common room to let him know that Quidditch practice was to start again that coming Thursday. I could hear the nervous excitement in his voice as he spoke to Harry. It was Wood's last year at Hogwarts and so his last chance to lead Gryffindor to victory having not won the Cup in some time; he was probably quite desperate now to win it before he left.

There was another buzz about the Gryffindor common room on Thursday evening. When Ron, Hermione and I had got back from dinner, we saw a large notice had been posted on the Gryffindor noticeboard. There was a swarm of students crowding round it to read what it said, an excited whisper sweeping over them one by one. When the three of us finally were able to see what all the fuss was about, my reaction didn't mirror the other students'. There was to be a trip to Hogsmeade at the end of October, on Hallowe'en. I felt the same excitement as everyone else but it was swiftly crushed when I read the sentence at the bottom of the parchment.

 _ONLY STUDENTS WITH SIGNED PERMISSION FORMS ARE ALLOWED TO VISIT THE VILLAGE_

'Ooh, I can't wait,' said Hermione excitedly. We crossed the common room and took our favourite seats in the corner to start our homework while we waited for Harry to get back from Quidditch practice. 'I'm so looking forward to finding out all about Hogsmeade's history as the only wizarding village.'

'Well while you do that, the rest of us will actually be enjoying ourselves,' said Ron. Hermione ignored him. I merely sighed and turned to my Herbology homework.

The chatter about the first Hogsmeade visit of the year continued long into the evening. It was still being talked about when Harry, Fred, George and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team finally returned from practice, cold and sore but in good spirits at least. They noticed the buzz in the common room almost instantly. Harry, Fred and George came over to where Ron, Hermione and I were sat by the fireside.

'What's happened?' asked Harry, nodding his head at the rest of the students.

'First Hogsmeade weekend,' said Ron. He looked up from his Astronomy chart and pointed with his quill at the noticeboard. 'End of October. Hallowe'en.'

'Excellent,' said Fred. A broad grin appeared on his face. 'I need to visit Zonko's, I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets.'

I looked up from my Astronomy chart to see Harry's face had fallen at the news of the Hogsmeade visit. As Fred and George vanished up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, Harry threw himself into the empty chair beside Ron. Hermione had also stopped writing on her chart.

'Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time,' she said. 'They're bound to catch Black soon, he's been sighted once already.'

'Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade,' argued Ron. Sensing the impending argument, I lowered my eyes back to my sheet of parchment to avoid being dragged into it. 'Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry, the next one might not be for ages –'

' _Ron!_ ' scolded Hermione. 'Harry's supposed to stay _in school_ –'

'He can't be the only third-year left behind,' said Ron.

'He won't be, Jenna's not going either –'

 _So much for not being dragged into it_ , I thought to myself.

'Ask McGonagall,' persisted Ron, 'go on, Harry –'

'Yeah, I think I will,' said Harry.

I glanced at him. He had that determined look in his eye again. I guess he'd made up his mind. Before Hermione had the chance to argue, Crookshanks leapt up on to her lap and began running his head over her chest for attention. He had a large dead spider hanging from his mouth. Ron saw this, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

'Does he have to eat that in front of us?' he said, scowling.

'Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?' cooed Hermione, scratching Crookshanks' ear. Crookshanks merely stared back at Ron, his yellow eyes fixed upon him almost mockingly, as he chewed at his spider.

'Just keep him over there, that's all,' muttered Ron. 'I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag.' Beside him, Harry had pulled out his homework. 'You can copy mine, if you like,' said Ron, thrusting his finished star chart at Harry. 'I've finished mine.'

Without even looking up I could feel Hermione's scowl beside me at the thought of Harry copying Ron's homework. I almost agreed, but more because Ron's homework probably had several glaring mistakes on it, which would mean Harry's would end up having the same mistakes too, but that was beside the point. I brushed it off and made to turn the page in my Astronomy textbook when there was a sudden flash of ginger in front of me. Having finished his spider, Crookshanks had bolted from Hermione's lap and dove under the table straight at Ron's bag.

'OY!' roared Ron. He grabbed his bag and yanked it off the floor. Crookshanks hissed angrily as he held on to it with his front claws. 'GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!'

'Ron, don't hurt him!' screamed Hermione.

She sprang from her seat to grab Crookshanks away from Ron. He was swinging his bag around trying to shake the ginger feline off it. Their antics attracted the attention of almost everyone in the common room who fell silent and watched as Ron swung around his bag with Crookshanks still attached. With a particularly violent jerk, Ron's bag opened and Scabbers flew out the top, landing with a thump on the floor near the fireplace. Scabbers let out a terrified squeak and made a break for it across the common room. Crookshanks detached himself from Ron's bag and leapt after the rat.

'CATCH THAT CAT!' yelled Ron.

George lunged for Crookshanks but he ducked under his arms after Scabbers. The rat ran through several pairs of legs, girls screaming and jumping at the sight of him, with Crookshanks chasing after him. He only just made it under a chest of drawers in time and out of Crookshanks' reach. Crookshanks skidded to a halt in front of the large piece of furniture, hissing at the darkness that hid Scabbers from him. He swiped blindly underneath the base with his front paw. Ron and Hermione ran over to the chest of drawers. Hermione gathered a squirming Crookshanks into her arms and pulled him away while Ron threw himself on to the ground to fish Scabbers out from beneath it.

'Look at him!' said Ron furiously once he'd gotten Scabbers back in his hands. 'He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!'

'Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!' said Hermione, her voice shaking. 'All cats chase rats, Ron!'

'There's something funny about that animal!' snapped Ron. He forced Scabbers back into his pocket but the rat was having none of it. He wriggled furiously, squeaking all the while, but was eventually buttoned back inside Ron's jacket. 'It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!'

'Oh, what rubbish,' said Hermione. 'Crookshanks could _smell_ him, Ron, how else d'you think –'

'That cat's got it in for Scabbers!' shouted Ron. 'And Scabbers was here first, _and_ he's ill!'

'Ron!' objected Hermione but Ron turned away and marched up the boys' dormitories, ending the argument. Hermione remained where she was, stroking Crookshanks' head, but looking visibly hurt.

'That cat's really got it in for Scabbers,' muttered Harry beside me. I glanced at him.

'Maybe,' I replied, frowning. Hermione could defend Crookshanks all she wanted, but it was hard to deny that something about Scabbers bothered Crookshanks and Ron was right when he said there was something funny about him, considering what we had been told of him possibly being part Kneazle when she bought him. Still, it wasn't my place to get involved in their argument, and I turned back to my homework. Besides, the bloody thing didn't like me anyway so why should I defend him?

The following morning Ron was still not speaking to Hermione when she and I got to breakfast. He was sat with Harry at the Gryffindor table and determinedly avoided Hermione's eye when we arrived, continuing his conversation with Harry as if she wasn't there. Hermione and I shared a look, and I could tell Hermione was still a bit upset over the whole situation. I gently rubbed her arm and we sat down with the boys to help ourselves to some food. Ron's attitude continued through into our Herbology lesson that morning, making it very awkward to work stripping pods from Puffapods with them.

'How's Scabbers?' Hermione finally asked, her voice quiet, as she emptied a pile of shiny beans into a pail.

'He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking,' replied Ron, angrily. He missed the pail as he spoke, scattering the beans over the floor. They burst into bloom upon contact with the soil-covered greenhouse floor.

'Careful, Weasley, careful!' scolded Professor Spout. Ron's scowl merely deepened and he ignored Hermione for the remainder of class.

Things didn't improve when we got to Transfiguration. I had noticed during Herbology that the lesson seemed oddly quieter than usual, the reason being that Lavender and Parvati weren't there. Being two of the chattiest girls in our year, it was hard not to notice when they weren't around. When we got to the Transfiguration Courtyard, I saw the two of them standing by the door to our Transfiguration Classroom. For some reason Lavender was crying. Parvati had her arm round her shoulders while she explained to Seamus what was going on. Concerned, Hermione and I went over to see if she was all right.

'What's the matter, Lavender?' asked Hermione.

'She got a letter from home this morning,' said Parvati in a low voice. Lavender let out another sob on her shoulder. 'It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox.'

'Oh,' said Hermione. 'I'm so sorry, Lavender.'

'When did it happen?' I asked.

'I don't know!' wailed Lavender. 'I should have known though! You know what day it is?'

'Er –?'

'Friday?' I ventured, despite knowing it was probably not what she meant.

'The fifteenth of October!' cried Lavender. '"That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the fifteenth of October!" Remember? She was right, she was right!'

Hermione and I shared a confused look. What was meant to happen today? Everyone was now gathered round Lavender, listening anxiously.

'You – you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?' repeated Hermione hesitantly.

'Well, not by a _fox_ ,' said Lavender, her eyes streaming with tears, 'but I was _obviously_ dreading him dying, wasn't I?'

'Oh,' said Hermione. She looked at me for support. I shrugged, not knowing what to do. I had never really been in this situation before where I'd had to console someone. The only other time I had was with Hermione back in first-year, and that had ended with us being trapped in a bathroom with a troll, so my track record at comforting people wasn't brilliant. 'Was Binky an _old_ rabbit?' Hermione asked.

'N-no!' sobbed Lavender. 'H-he was only a baby!'

Lavender sobbed louder. Parvati tightened her arm around her.

'But then, why would you dread him dying?' asked Hermione.

Lavender stopped crying and stared at her, shocked. Parvati glared at her.

'Well, look at it logically,' said Hermione. 'I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he, Lavender just got the news today –' Lavender wailed again, '– and she _can't_ have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock –'

'Hermione, I'd stop if I were you,' I whispered in her ear, seeing everyone glaring at her for her logic over sensitivity.

'Don't mind Hermione, Lavender,' said Ron loudly. He pushed past Hermione and stood in front of Lavender. 'She doesn't think other people's pets matter very much.'

Hermione's mouth fell open, but I shook my head at her to stop her responding. Now was one of those times Hermione needed to learn when to keep her mouth shut. Luckily, at that moment Professor McGonagall opened the door to her classroom and we were allowed inside. Harry and I took seats on desks next to each other while Ron and Hermione, who were shooting daggers at each other, took seats on either side of us and remained silent for the rest of the lesson. Because of this the lesson passed by quicker than usual as we attempted to change shoeboxes into tea-cosies. Before we knew it, the lesson had finished and Professor McGonagall was calling for our attention as we packed up our things.

'One moment, please!' she called over us. 'As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Hallowe'en. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!'

Neville put up his hand.

'Please, Professor, I – I think I've lost –'

'Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom,' said Professor McGonagall, a hint of impatience evident in her tone. Neville let out a relieved breath. 'She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave.'

I picked up my bag and turned for the door. Behind me, I heard Ron whisper to Harry.

'Ask her now.'

'Oh, but –' Hermione started.

'Go for it, Harry,' encouraged Ron.

I stopped, letting the rest of the class file past me as I watched Harry walk over to Professor McGonagall's desk. She looked up, her eyes fixing him with her usual piercing gaze.

'Yes, Potter?'

'Professor, my aunt and uncle – er – forgot to sign my form,' said Harry.

Professor McGonagall blinked but didn't say anything.

'So – er – d'you think it would be all right – I mean, will it be OK if I – if I go to Hogsmeade?'

'I'm afraid not, Potter,' said Professor McGonagall shortly. She returned to the papers on her desk, looking away from him. 'You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule.'

'But – Professor, my aunt and uncle – you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about – about Hogwarts forms and stuff,' said Harry. 'If you said I could go –'

'But I don't say so,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission.' She turned away briefly to put her papers in a drawer then looked back at Harry. There was an odd expression on her face. It looked almost like pity. 'I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson.'

There was nothing to be done. Like me, Harry wasn't going to be able to go to Hogsmeade and he and Ron were just going to have to accept it. Ron was furious and called Professor McGonagall a lot of names which annoyed Hermione, whose "it's for the best" attitude merely infuriated Ron more. The rest of the class, meanwhile, happily talked about the upcoming Hogsmeade visit unaware that both Harry and I were unable to go, and so I did my best to block out their conversations on what they were going to do first in the village or where they were going to go.

'There's always the feast,' said Ron, attempting to cheer Harry up. 'You know, the Hallowe'en feast, in the evening.'

'Yeah,' said Harry despondently, 'great.'

I don't somehow think that was much consolation.

When news got round that evening that Harry wasn't able to go to the village, surprisingly a lot of people came to offer their help. Dean, who had always been quite good with a quill, offered to forge Harry's uncle's signature but that was pointless considering Harry had already told Professor McGonagall his uncle had forgotten to sign it. Seamus said we should just sneak him down there but how he didn't know. Ron suggested using the Invisibility Cloak once Seamus was out of earshot but Hermione shot that down straight away when she reminded him the Dementors were able to see through them. There was absolutely no way Harry could get down to the village. I merely remained quiet, knowing that because Lupin was teaching here there was no way they could convince him to let me go to the village when he'd already refused and so I had told them not to even try. Out of all this though, Percy's words of comfort were probably the ones we'd least wanted to hear.

'They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be,' Percy told us in a serious tone. 'All right, the sweetshop's rather good, but Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything.'

'"Not missing anything", he says,' repeated Ron once Percy had gone. 'Only a pompous wand-in-the-mud would say that.'

Hallowe'en morning was bright and grey. I stared dismally out of the window in my dormitory as I got dressed, knowing the rest of my year would soon be heading down to Hogsmeade after breakfast while I had to stay cooped up in the castle all because of Lupin's concerns that Black would come after me. As bad as it was to think it, Black was probably too preoccupied with thoughts of Harry to bother about his possibly still alive daughter. Across the dormitory, Hermione called to see if I was ready and the two of us left to head down to breakfast. Harry and Ron were already there when we reached the Great Hall. Harry looked about as cheerful as I felt. We ate in an awkward silence, Ron and Hermione not daring to discuss Hogsmeade in front of us so as not to make things worse. At least they weren't arguing with each other anymore about Crookshanks and Scabbers.

Around nine o'clock Professor McGonagall called the attention of the Hall and announced that any of the third-year students going down to Hogsmeade were to wait in the Entrance Hall where Filch would be waiting with a list of names to check who was going. Harry and I shared a look. We both knew what that meant; any chance of sneaking down to the village was pretty much dashed with Filch on guard duty. Around us the Hall began to empty. Harry and I followed Ron and Hermione into the Entrance Hall where Filch was already scrutinising the rest of our year while he checked off their names on the long sheet of parchment he had in his hand.

'We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes,' said Hermione to Harry and me. I could hear the sympathetic tone in her voice as she said it, like she was doing her best to make light of the situation.

'Yeah, loads,' enthused Ron, perhaps a little too much.

'Guys, it's fine,' I said.

'Don't worry about us,' said Harry. Despite his casual tone, I could tell he was trying to put on a brave face in place of his disappointment. 'We'll see you at the feast. Have a good time.'

'Staying here, Potter?' came Malfoy's voice. I looked across to the doors to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle waiting in line to be checked off by Filch. 'Scared of passing the Dementors?'

'Come on, Jenna,' said Harry. 'Let's go find something to do.'

Harry and I said our goodbyes to Ron and Hermione then headed back up the Marble Staircase. We walked in silence back up the Changing Staircase until we came to the third floor where I stopped. Harry looked questioningly at me.

'Well, as I can't go to Hogsmeade, I said I'd go help Lupin prepare his next classes,' I shrugged. 'You can come too if you want. He's bound to have something interesting in his office for us to look at.'

'As great as Lupin's lessons are, I don't really want to spend the weekend helping a teacher,' said Harry dismally. I held in a sigh.

'Harry, I know you're disappointed about Hogsmeade, but I'm sure there's a good reason why the teachers won't sign your permission slip,' I said, trying to be reasonable. 'I mean, they aren't your guardians. It'd be irresponsible of them.'

'Jenna, we both know the reason they won't sign it,' said Harry bluntly. 'I know it's because of Black being on the loose that they won't do it.'

I couldn't help the frown that furrowed my brow when Harry said that.

'Do you really think Black's after you?' I then asked, cautiously.

'I don't know, but everyone seems to think he is,' said Harry. He paused, looking away from me. 'I think I'm just going to head back to the common room.'

'OK,' I said. I nodded then tried to give Harry a smile but it was very half hearted. 'If you want something to do, you can always come to Lupin's office.'

Harry nodded then headed up the stairs back to the seventh floor while I turned off down the third floor corridor towards the Dark Arts Tower.

Spending the morning with Lupin turned out to be pretty boring for the most part. When I arrived at his office, Lupin had his head buried in a book as he was researching the next creature he was going to use for his lessons and making lengthy notes on a piece of parchment. He looked up long enough to tell me he was going to be a while before returning to his work. Not knowing what to do, I dumped my jacket on the chair in front of his desk and attempted to amuse myself with one of the intricate instruments Lupin had on his bookcase. After another fifteen minutes of work, Lupin finally sealed his parchment up and got up from his desk.

'Sorry about that,' said Lupin. 'I've been researching Grindylows for our next lesson. In fact, I received an Owl about half an hour ago saying the one I ordered should arrive today. D'you want to accompany me to the staffroom to see if it's here?'

'Sure,' I said, putting down the strange double-ended candle I'd been examining. I placed the half black-half white candle back on its stand, resting its bronze circlet on its perch. Lupin held the door open for me and together we left his office.

There was indeed a parcel waiting for Lupin when we reached the staffroom. I say parcel, Lupin's delivery in fact was a large tank filled to the brim with murky water containing a dark sickly-green creature. It had a series of tentacles for its lower body while its face and chest were like a withered baby's in appearance, similar to a Mandrake in some ways. A very angry baby. It bared its rotten teeth at Lupin and me when it saw us and scratched its long spindly fingers across the glass of the tank. This must have been what Lupin had been researching: a Grindylow. After quickly examining its state, Lupin smiled then enchanted the tank so he could carry it back to his office. It was a slow walk back as we made sure not to let any of the water spill out of the tank knowing how much it would enrage Filch if he had to clean up pond water on top of the mess the students going to Hogsmeade would bring back with them. Once inside his office, Lupin set the tank down on a sideboard in the corner of his office.

'Interesting creatures,' he mused, looking at the beast once more. 'Very aggressive towards humans, however, merpeople have been said to be able to tame them and keep them as pets.'

A noise came from outside Lupin's office, drawing his attention away from the Grindylow tank. He looked over towards the still open door to his office.

'Harry?' I looked up in time to catch a glimpse of Harry poking his head around the door to Lupin's office. He must have seen us walking back here from the staffroom. He stepped into the room, looking uncomfortable. 'What are you doing?' asked Lupin lightly. 'Where are Ron and Hermione?'

'Hogsmeade,' shrugged Harry. I could hear he was trying to be casual about it.

'Ah,' nodded Lupin, then adding, 'Why don't you come in?'

'I've just remembered,' I said quickly, feeling that Harry might want a word with Lupin alone. I was pretty sure the incident with the Boggart was still bothering him. 'I've not finished my Charms homework and it's due in tomorrow,' I told Lupin to excuse myself. 'I better go do it. Thanks for showing me the Grindylow, Lupin.'

I watched as Lupin gave me a suspicious look but he accepted my excuse and nodded. I grabbed my jacket from the chair I'd put it on earlier then made my way over to the door. Harry caught my eye as I passed. I merely smiled and walked out of the office. I didn't stop until I was across the other side of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and out of the door leading into the Dark Arts Tower. I let out a sigh and leaned against the wall. I hoped Harry wasn't going to get all defensive if he did ask Lupin about the Boggart, knowing full well what he was like if someone tried to baby him like McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey did at the start of term after the encounter with the Dementor on the train. While I didn't know exactly why Lupin had stopped him – only that he was protecting him from the Dementor the Boggart had formed – I did know that Lupin would have had his reasons to do so. I just hoped Harry accepted them.

I looked around the empty Tower. The candles glowed dimly along the wall following the spiral staircase down to the bottom of the Tower. It was completely void of any other student. I was suddenly at a loss of what to do having cut short my visit to Lupin and there being no one in my year in the castle to talk to. An idea then came to me about what I could do. I started down the staircase, a broad grin on my face, to make my way out to the castle grounds. As I turned out of the Tower into the third floor corridor, however, I stopped having heard footsteps coming this way. I waited to see who it was.

With a sweep of his long black robes, Snape emerged from around the corner carrying a goblet of smoking liquid. I didn't need to guess what it was. The Wolfsbane Potion. I hesitated when I realised this, my eyes fixed upon Snape. Lupin had said that Snape had been asked by Dumbledore to brew the Wolfsbane Potion for his transformations. Any good Potioneer would know what that potion was for meaning that Snape probably had been told that Lupin was a werewolf. A nervous feeling started in the pit of my stomach. Though I couldn't think why he would, gathering that Lupin had never met Snape prior to the start of the year, I really hoped Snape didn't let slip Lupin's condition to anyone. That would be the last thing he needed. That dark look he'd given him at the Start-Of-Term feast though made me uneasy in Dumbledore's choice to trust Snape with Lupin's secret.

Snape swept up the corridor towards where I was standing near the statue of One-Eyed Witch. His black eyes caught sight of me.

'Not in Hogsmeade today with Weasley and Granger?' he said, the hint of the sneer as always in his voice.

'No, Professor,' I replied. 'I haven't got permission.'

Snape's eyes narrowed, almost with curiosity.

'Professor Lupin didn't give you permission to visit the village?' Snape questioned. I nodded. To my surprise, the edge of Snape's thin lips lifted. 'A decision that must have dogged him for sometime.'

I frowned, confused by Snape's comment. What did he mean by the decision of giving me permission to go to Hogsmeade dogging Lupin? I mean, I already knew Lupin's reasons: because he didn't want Black to find me. There was nothing more to it. But Lupin probably never mentions Black in the company of other teachers. How would Snape know that Lupin and Black used to be friends? Without another word, Snape swept past me and up the spiral staircase towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and Lupin's office. I watched until he was about halfway up the Tower before turning away to go into the castle grounds. I didn't, however, let Snape's comment lie forgotten.

The fact that the castle was empty of most of its students thanks to the Hogsmeade visit provided me with an opportunity I'd never really thought about before. With silent grounds and vacant castle corridors and no one to see me, it gave me the chance to practice my transformations without being seen so that I didn't become rusty again like I did after second-year. Reaching the grounds I double-checked that there were no stray first or second-years about. It was unlikely; most were probably struggling under their first few weeks of homework after the summer holidays. Happy that I was alone I ran down the hill from the Stone Circle before taking a jump. I landed on four paws instead of two feet and darted off towards the lake. Although I knew Lupin wouldn't be pleased I'd done this, considering how much he stressed I had to keep my secret, I reasoned I would have to practice if I wanted any chance of keeping myself safe during the full moons this year.

I spent most of the day in the grounds while I waited for Ron and Hermione to get back from Hogsmeade, only returning when I heard the bell from the Clock Tower ring out to signal it was lunchtime. Currently in the form of an owl, I flew back up to the castle rather than running as a wolf and landed in the Clock Tower Courtyard. I took refuge in the corner out of sight and transformed back. Once again I checked no one could have seen me then stepped out of the shadows to cross the open courtyard towards the doors to the castle. I had barely reached the broken fountain in the middle of the courtyard when I heard voices I recognised coming from the Wooden Bridge. I stopped to listen, looking round to see if it was who I thought it was.

'Before I fainted, I heard someone,' Harry was telling Lupin, 'a woman … screaming …'

'Well Dementors force us to relive our very worst memories,' explained Lupin. 'Our pain becomes their power.'

'So the woman screaming is from a memory?'

'More than likely.'

An uneasy feeling started in the pit of my stomach when Harry mentioned what he'd heard because of the Dementors. I knew all too well the sound of my Mum's screams that they brought on. I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop but a part of me was curious as to where this conversation was going. I quickly checked I was still alone then transformed back into a sparrow and flew towards the Wooden Bridge. Carefully I landed on the roof and changed back so I could listen. I knelt down on it close to the edge but remained out of sight. I could just see Harry's arms sticking out as he leant on the side of the Bridge while they talked.

'Jenna fainted that night on the train as well,' Harry was asking. I'd had a feeling he would. 'Does she have similar memories like mine?'

Lupin seemed to pause before he answered Harry's question.

'Jenna has a complicated past that is shrouded in unanswered questions,' he finally replied. 'She has memories like you do of her mother being murdered but as to what else it is that causes her to faint when Dementors are near her, even I don't know. There are still a lot of things that Jenna doesn't know about her life and might never know at all.'

'Like who her father is?' asked Harry. 'She said he's been missing as long as she can remember.'

I tensed. What was Lupin going to say to that?

'Jenna's father is not part of her life,' replied Lupin. I could hear the stiffened tone in his voice. 'And it is unlikely he ever will be.'

A silence followed and neither Harry nor Lupin said anything for a couple of minutes. I think Harry knew he'd spoken out of turn when he'd asked Lupin about my father. As much as Lupin disliked talking about Black, however, I knew he wouldn't have taken offence to Harry's curiosity.

'You have the same curiosity as your father,' Lupin said next. Another pause. 'You know, the very first time I saw you, Harry, I recognised you immediately,' Lupin continued. 'Not by you scar but by your eyes. They're your mother, Lily's. Yes … Oh yes, I knew her. I was at school with her and your father, James. Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch, she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others, even and perhaps most especially, when that person could not see it in themselves. As for your father, James, on the other hand he,' Lupin chuckled, 'he had a certain – shall we say – talent for trouble. A trouble, rumour has it, he passed on to you.'

I couldn't help but grin at that. I had told Lupin more than enough about the sort of things Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had gotten into in the last two years here at Hogwarts.

'You're more like them than you know, Harry,' said Lupin. 'In time, you'll come to see just how much.'

I smiled. Lupin really knew how to make someone feel better in light of a bad situation. Thinking it was best I snuck away before I was discovered, I slowly turned to climb back further on to the roof so I could transform and fly off. Unfortunately though, one of the wooden tiles beneath me gave a loud _creak_ and my cover was blown. I froze in hopes that Lupin and Harry hadn't heard me. That wasn't the case.

'Whose up there?' I heard Lupin call.

I sighed and turned back round to the edge. I knelt back down and leaned over it, my hair cascading down off my shoulders as I hung upside down on the roof, my hands tightly gripping the edge.

'Er, hi,' I said nervously.

'Jenna,' said Lupin sharply, 'get down from there at once.'

I got up and turned around so I could swing myself through the wooden window frame and on to the bridge. I landed in between Harry and Lupin with a dull thud. No sooner had I stood straight, Lupin instantly took hold of my arm and pulled me aside so Harry couldn't hear us. I think he knew how I'd gotten on to the roof.

'How long have you been up there?' asked Lupin quietly.

'Not that long,' I replied. 'Only a couple of minutes.'

'And how did you get on the roof?' Lupin persisted. I didn't answer, instead letting my hair fall over my face as I refused to tell him. Lupin knew the answer anyway. 'Jenna, you are not to do that here. I've told you time and again, you cannot abuse your abilities like that. What if someone had seen you?'

'I made sure no one was around,' I argued, 'besides, everyone's in Hogsmeade. It's not like there was anyone around to see me anyway.'

'That is not the point,' said Lupin sternly. 'If someone found out about what you can do, you would be in a lot of trouble.'

'Oh come on, Lupin,' I retorted, 'like you never broke the rules with your friends when you were at school.'

I instantly regretted saying that as I remembered Lupin wasn't currently just my guardian but also my teacher. I had never spoken back to a teacher like that before, not even Snape.

'That was completely different and you know it,' said Lupin slowly. 'Now, I will not tell you again; you are not to do that here unless you are in the safety of my office. Do I make myself clear?'

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Nevertheless I nodded.

'Good.'

With a final pointed look at me, Lupin straightened up and turned back to Harry. I glanced over at him. He must have been watching us the entire time, confused by Lupin's sudden change in demeanour.

'I'm afraid I have some work that needs taking care of,' said Lupin, his tone once again light and mild. 'I'm sure you and Jenna can find something to amuse yourselves in the castle until Ron and Hermione are back from Hogsmeade for the feast.'

Lupin turned on his heel and walked back towards the Clock Tower Courtyard to return inside the castle. I frowned as I watched him walk away. He needn't have made such a big deal about me being on the Wooden Bridge roof. Just because he knew I had gotten up there because of my abilities and not simply just climbed up there like any other student might didn't mean he had to tell me off like that. Like I told him, it's not like he hadn't broken any rules while he was here.

'What was that about?' I turned round to see Harry looking at me, confused at what he'd just witnessed.

'Oh, nothing,' I shrugged. 'He's just a bit over protective of me, that's all.'

'Why?' asked Harry. 'We've done worse than climbing on a roof before.'

I hesitated, then said, 'He has his reasons.'

'You've been saying that a lot recently,' said Harry, curiously. 'About your parents, especially your dad; why you're not allowed to go to Hogsmeade; and now this, Lupin telling you off for something minor compared to what we've done in the past.'

'Then why do you ask questions to things you already know the answer to?' I retorted. Harry frowned, confused. Well, at least I'd managed to divert him. 'Come on, let's go find something to do. Better than standing around out here doing nothing.'

I turned and walked back across the Wooden Bridge before Harry had a chance to object, ending the conversation that was treading dangerously into topics I didn't want to discuss for – as Harry had observed – my own reasons.

At about five o'clock that afternoon the entrance to the Gryffindor common room suddenly flew open as the students returned from Hogsmeade. The common room was suddenly filled with the excited chatter from our year group as they discussed their first visit to the village in great detail to one another, reminiscing already of their trip and eagerly anticipating when the next one would be as the jealous first and second-years hungrily listened in on their conversations. Through the crowds Ron and Hermione appeared pink-faced at the table Harry and I were sat at in the corner, both sharing the same broad smiles. From their pockets they pulled out a dozen or more brightly coloured sweets that they proceeded to dump in front of us on the table.

'There you go,' said Ron brightly. 'We got as much as we could carry.'

'Thanks,' said Harry. He picked up a packet of Pepper Imps, examining the bright blue packet. 'What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?'

'We went everywhere!' enthused Ron.

'There was so much to see,' agreed Hermione. 'We went to Dervish and Banges where they sell all sorts wizarding equipment –'

'– then we went to Zonko's Joke Shop,' said Ron. 'Fred and George bought loads of those Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks –'

'– then we went to the Three Broomsticks,' continued Hermione. 'They serve this really nice hot drink called Butterbeer that foams up like a cappuccino – and the post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all colour-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!'

'Honeydukes have got a new kind of fudge, they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look –'

'We _think_ we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks –'

'Wish we could have brought you some Butterbeer, really warms you up –'

'What did you do?' Hermione then said, suddenly changing the subject. Her excitement also vanished to be replaced with a more anxious look. 'Did you get any work done?'

'No,' shrugged Harry. 'Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in carrying this goblet with a strange smoking liquid in it.'

I looked up, alerted by Harry mentioning Snape bringing Lupin his dose of Wolfsbane Potion. Of course, Harry had arrived at Lupin's office shortly before I'd run into Snape after I'd left. My only reassurance was that Harry, Ron and Hermione would have no idea what the potion was.

'Lupin said he'd been feeling off-colour and so Snape had made him the potion because it was the only thing that helps,' explained Harry. 'And he drank it.'

Hermione gasped. Ron's mouth fell open.

' _Lupin drank it?_ ' gaped Ron. 'Is he mad?'

The three of them then looked at me.

'Lupin's got a weak immune system,' I said, thinking quickly. 'That potion Snape brewed him helps build up his body's defences otherwise he'd fall ill very regularly.'

Neither Harry or Ron looked convinced by my excuse, however, Hermione saved me having to explain any more when she looked at her watch.

'We'd better go down, you know,' she said, 'the feast'll be starting in five minutes.'

The four of us gathered our things together on the table then joined the crowd now leaving the Gryffindor common room to head down to the Great Hall for the Hallowe'en feast. Through the loud voices of the various conversations, our one regarding Lupin remained between us, much to my relief.

'But if he – you know –' said Hermione in a low voice, 'if he _was_ trying to – to poison Lupin – he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry.'

'Snape's not trying to poison Lupin,' I argued. 'I told you, Lupin's got a weak immune system. That potion helps him.'

'Doesn't mean Snape couldn't slip something else into it,' said Ron.

'He still wouldn't have given it to him in front of a student,' argued Hermione.

'Yeah, maybe,' said Harry, 'I wouldn't put it past him though.'

Normally the cheerful atmosphere created by one of Hogwarts many feasts throughout the school year would perk me up no end but this time my spirits felt decidedly deflated despite the buzzing students, colourful decorations and wonderful food. I just couldn't get into it when my mind was so full of concerned thoughts. Then again, when I really thought about it, the last two Hallowe'ens I'd had here something bad had happened almost immediately afterwards. As we ate I glanced up at the teacher's table every so often. To any other student, Lupin would look as cheerful as always as he talked with Professor Flitwick. To me, I could see just how drained and tired he was with the full moon less than forty-eight hours away and the effort it was taking him to maintain the facade. A few seats away from him was Snape. I frowned when I noticed how often he was glancing in Lupin's direction. I could see the same look of loathing he'd had on his face back at the Start-of-Term feast. I remembered his earlier comment to me and my frowned deepened. What did Snape have against Lupin?

After the feast the Hogwarts ghosts provided the students and teachers with a performance of formation gliding around the Great Hall, culminating in Nearly Headless Nick creating a dramatic re-enactment of his botched beheading to rousing applauses from all those watching. It was a pretty great thing to watch. It was just unfortunate that I couldn't seem to enjoy it. I was relieved when Dumbledore finally dismissed us and we were allowed to return to our common rooms. Maybe what I needed was a good night's sleep to take my mind off of everything. I walked silently back to the Gryffindor Tower with Harry, Ron and Hermione talking amongst themselves, my mind still distracted until I felt myself walk into Harry's back. I looked up to see the corridor was jammed with the Gryffindor students but not one of them was going through the Fat Lady's portrait.

'What's going on?' I asked, confused.

'Why isn't anyone going in?' added Ron.

'Don't know,' said Hermione. 'Looks like there's something wrong with the entrance.'

'Let me through, please,' came Percy's pompous voice over the students pushing behind us. He made his way past us and towards the portrait. 'What's the hold-up here?' he demanded. 'You can't all have forgotten the password – excuse me, I'm Head Boy –'

Percy managed to force his way through the crowd of Gryffindors. Suddenly the voices began to fall quiet and a silence spread from the portrait entrance all the way back to where Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were near the back of the crowd.

'Somebody get Professor Dumbledore,' shouted Percy. 'Quick.'

The whispers and voices began again as people started to question what was going on that required Dumbledore's attention. In a matter of moments, however, Dumbledore had appeared and the crowd was parting to let him through. Seeing an opportunity, Harry nodded his head and the four of us slipped through the crowd so we could get a better look at what was going on.

'Oh, my –' gasped Hermione.

My eyes widened when I saw the Fat Lady's portrait. The painting had been viciously slashed and had several tears in the canvas, some pieces of which now littered the floor beneath it. The Fat Lady herself was nowhere to be seen. I stared at the portrait, shocked at who could have done such a thing. Why would anyone attack the portrait to the Gryffindor common room? In front of us Dumbledore lifted a torn piece of canvas, running his hand over the wide gash in the material. He turned, his eyes sombre despite the devastation, just as Professor McGonagall, Lupin and Snape came hurrying towards us. I watched as Lupin took one look at the portrait before his eyes instantly fell on me. Suddenly I realised what had happened.

'No …' I breathed, hoping beyond hope I was wrong.

'We need to find her,' said Dumbledore. 'Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady.'

'You'll be lucky!' said a cackling voice above us.

I looked up. Peeves was bobbing over the crowd, a look of glee on his face at all the commotion.

'What do you mean, Peeves?' said Dumbledore calmly. Peeves's grin lessened slightly. He knew he couldn't misbehave in front of Dumbledore.

'Ashamed, Your Headship, sir,' drawled Peeves. 'Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful,' chuckled Peeves maliciously. 'Poor thing,' he then added almost as an afterthought.

'Did she say who did it?' asked Dumbledore quietly.

'Oh yes, Professorhead,' said Peeves. 'He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see.' Peeves did a backflip, grinning at Dumbledore from between his legs. 'Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black.'

I felt my heart skip a beat at the mention of my father's name. It felt like the pit of my stomach had fallen out and my body had frozen in fear. Around me all the Gryffindors were once again loud with questions and fear at the thought of Sirius Black being somewhere in the castle having unsuccessfully attempted to get into our common room. I looked around at the chaos, none of the other students aware of what exactly was going on. It was then my eyes met Harry's. He had been watching me, a look of concern etched on his face at my strange reaction to the news. Before he could ask me, however, Dumbledore's voice rang out.

'Silence!' he shouted. The noise the Gryffindors were making immediately stopped. 'You are all to report to the Great Hall. No one is to enter the Gryffindor Tower until further notice. Professor McGonagall,' he then said, 'please have Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout bring their students down to the Great Hall from their common rooms; the Slytherins too, Professor Snape. Then gather all the teachers and meet me in my office.'

My eyes glanced at Lupin as Percy began to usher us back to the Changing Staircase to return to the Great Hall. His face was set with a look I'd never seen before. It was almost like anger. My uneasy feelings deepened and I turned away to follow Harry, Ron and Hermione back to the Great Hall. We were gathered inside then left in Percy's charge while we waited for the rest of the school to show up. Ten minutes later we were joined by the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins, all of whom were confused by why they had been dragged from their beds and brought back to the Hall by their Heads of House when the Hallowe'en feast had ended almost an hour ago now. In a matter of no time the Gryffindors were telling them that Sirius Black had attempted to get into the Gryffindor Tower and the number of questions and noise doubled. Through the crowds I managed to catch a glimpse of Malfoy gathered with the other Slytherins in our year. I wasn't surprised to see a broad grin on his face as he whispered to Crabbe and Goyle. This wasn't good.

'Can I have your attention?' called Professor Dumbledore. All the students in the Hall turned to look at him. He had re-entered the Hall which doors were now being sealed by Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. 'The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle. I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately,' he added to Percy. Percy beamed, puffing his chest out in his newfound importance. 'Send word with one of the ghosts.'

Professor Dumbledore turned to leave the Hall, then paused.

'Oh yes, you'll be needing …'

With a casual wave of his wand the long House tables flew upwards against the sides of the Hall and the benches were stacked at the far end near the teacher's table. Dumbledore waved his wand a second time and soon the floor was covered with hundreds of large padded purple sleeping bags.

'Sleep well.' and he left.

With Dumbledore gone the buzz started once again in the Hall with the Gryffindors telling the rest of the school about what had happened.

'Everyone into their sleeping bags!' shouted Percy. 'Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!'

'C'mon,' said Ron.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I grabbed a sleeping bag each and dragged them into the corner as far away from the other students as we could manage for the time being. I positioned my bag on the other side of Hermione's so that Harry wouldn't notice anymore of my probably very strange behaviour to the situation then climbed inside. The four of us lay down on the stone floor but none of us were in any rush to go to sleep.

'Do you think Black's still in the castle?' whispered Hermione anxiously.

'Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be,' said Ron.

'It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know,' continued Hermione. 'The one night we weren't in the Tower ...'

'I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run,' said Ron. 'Didn't realise it was Hallowe'en. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here.'

I frowned at Ron's words. Not that it wasn't possible for Black to lose track of time while being on the run, there would be sources around him in the Muggle world that would allow him to learn what day it was. A man as smart as him to be able to escape Azkaban would surely have enough sense to keep track of the date? It was curious though that, if that had been the case and he had known it was Hallowe'en, why he decided to go to the Tower instead of the Great Hall where all of the school would be. Harry wouldn't be alone in the Tower, not when there was a feast being held. So why would Black go there? What else was in the Tower?

Around us I could hear several groups of students wildly guessing how Black had gotten into the castle in the first place. Some were saying he Apparated, others were guessing he'd flown in somehow, and more were thinking he'd disguised himself to get past the Dementors.

'Honestly, am I the _only_ person who's ever bothered to read _Hogwarts: A History_?' said Hermione angrily.

'Probably,' replied Ron with a shrug.

'Because the castle's protected by more than _walls_ , you know,' said Hermione, irritated. 'There's all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in, too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered ...'

'Lights out!' shouted Percy's voice, and the Great Hall plunged into darkness.

I didn't get much sleep that night. The whispers amongst the students didn't end for another couple of hours despite Percy and the other Prefects prowling amongst the sleeping bags to tell off anyone who wasn't asleep and the teachers checking in every hour, and the glow of the ghosts was annoyingly bright in the otherwise darkened Hall. It was almost three in the morning by the time Dumbledore returned. He stood in wait for Percy a few feet away from where Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were lying in the corner, the others fast asleep from what I could see in the dim light. I turned my head just enough so I could see Percy approach Dumbledore and listen in to the results of the search of the castle.

'Any sign of him, Professor?' asked Percy in a low whisper.

'No. All well here?'

'Everything under control, sir.'

'Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow.'

'And the Fat Lady, sir?'

'Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her.'

Just then, the door to the Great Hall gave a loud creak as someone entered. I moved my head a tiny bit more to see who it was. It was Snape.

'Headmaster?' Snape's voice was even quieter than Percy's. I strained to hear what he was saying. 'The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there, either.'

'What about the Astronomy Tower?' asked Dumbledore. 'Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?'

'All searched ...'

'Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger.'

'Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?' questioned Snape.

'Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next,' replied Dumbledore. There was an odd clipped tone to his voice though, almost as if they'd had a conversation like this before.

'You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster,' Snape persisted, 'just before – ah – the start of term?'

'I do, Severus,' said Dumbledore, his tone almost warning now.

'It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help,' said Snape. I narrowed my eyes. He wasn't suggesting what I thought he was, was he? 'I did express my concerns when you appointed –'

'I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it,' said Dumbledore, and with that it was clear this conversation was over. 'I must go down to the Dementors,' Dumbledore then said. 'I said I would inform them when our search was complete.'

'Didn't they want to help, sir?' said Percy.

'Oh yes,' said Dumbledore coldly. 'But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster.'

The door to the Great Hall opened once more and shut moments later. I lay still for a minute or so more before settling back into my sleeping bag, my mind restless with concern. It appeared Snape had voiced his disapproval for Lupin being appointed to the position because of his connection to Black. But this raised some strange questions. How did Snape know Lupin knew Black? Lupin despised Black; he wouldn't be a topic of conversation Lupin would willingly admit in that they were at school together. And also, why would Snape be so concerned about the connection when Black was after Harry and Snape had made no secret of his dislike of him for the last two years? So why would he attempt to almost protect him now?

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder but nevertheless I listened to them all as I was interested in how other people thought Black had gotten into the castle and past the Dementors a second time. I did somehow think Hannah's theory in our Herbology class later that week of Black being able to transform into a shrub was a bit on the ridiculous side. An animal, however, now that was plausible. I knew full well that Black was an Animagus like me and he had now been on the run long enough for him to regain some strength so he could transform again. But what animal he could turn into, I didn't know. I was sure Lupin had told me once what his friends could change into but that had been a long time ago and so I couldn't remember exactly what had been said.

The Fat Lady's portrait had been removed from the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower and in its place hung the portrait of that deranged knight we'd met at the start of term, Sir Cadagon. According to Percy, he had been the only portrait brave enough to take the job. That may have been so, but he made impossible to get into the Tower. If he wasn't challenging the Gryffindors to duels, he was changing the passwords at least twice a day making it difficult to remember them. Neville especially was having trouble considering he struggled to remember just one password normally, let alone one that was different in the afternoon to the one he used in the morning.

Something else I noticed after Black's attack was the change in some of the teachers' behaviours. Lupin understandably had taken to keeping an eye out for me at every meal and between every lesson when he could. The fact the full moon was so close made that difficult for him and so by Tuesday afternoon he was locked away in his office so he could rest. The only other teacher I had noticed keeping an eye on me for some reason was McGonagall. In our next Transfiguration lesson with her, I saw she gave me a look of what almost looked like pity when I took my seat next to Hermione at the front of the class. Why she was pitying me though, I couldn't say.

I wasn't the only one who McGonagall's attitude seemed to have changed towards. On Wednesday morning before lessons Harry was summoned to her office and when he came back he told Ron, Hermione and me that she had informed him Black was after him, not that we didn't already know that. It had meant she was reluctant to let him be out in the grounds in the open for Quidditch training because of the danger it posed. Of course, McGonagall's love of Quidditch and desire to win the Quidditch Cup had managed to win out and she had compromised by saying Madam Hooch was to oversee their practices. It didn't stop Harry feeling like he was being suffocated by the teachers always watching him though.

The weather worsened as the first match of the Quidditch season approached which meant Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team frequently returned from practices soaking wet. Nonetheless the team persevered under Wood's instruction so that they'd be fully prepared for whatever weather they had to endure in their match against Slytherin that coming Saturday. Or at least that's what they'd thought. After his final training match, Harry and the rest of the team came back from practice all looking rather peeved about something. When Ron, Hermione and I asked what was wrong, Harry told us that Slytherin had pulled out from playing in the match this weekend and so their match was to be against the very differently skilled Hufflepuff team as opposed to the offensive-heavy Slytherin team. The reason was the worst bit.

'Wood said it's because of Malfoy's arm,' said Harry angrily. 'Flint was claiming that it was still injured.'

'Still injured?' repeated Ron. 'What a bunch of Flobberworms. They just don't want to play because they know they'd lose. There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm.'

'That's what I said,' said Harry, 'but you've seen how thick Malfoy's been laying it on about his injury.'

'Malfoy's arm is more than healed,' I said, annoyed that he was still playing up his injury. 'My injuries healed completely about two weeks after Madam Pomfrey let us out the Hospital Wing, and he got off much lighter than i did. It took ages before I was able to bend over properly again after that.'

'Wood didn't believe them either,' said Harry. 'He said they just didn't want to play us in the bad weather because it would damage their chances of winning the Cup.'

'I still say they're a bunch of Flobberworms,' muttered Ron.

While I agreed with the boys that the Slytherins were postponing their match against Gryffindor for pathetic reasons, I had other things on my mind that took precedence on my thoughts. The full moon was tonight, and it was to be the first one I spent with Lupin here at Hogwarts. The previous one I had been unable to be present for as it had occurred before Lupin had gotten permission from Dumbledore for me to be with him during them. As the evening wore on I kept a close eye on the time and waited for the common room to empty and for Harry, Ron and Hermione to go to bed before I made a move to go Lupin's office. It was the only time I'd ever received permission to be out of bed after curfew, a rare treat. I had been given strict instructions to follow in order to not cross paths with Filch or any of the Prefects on my way to the Dark Arts Tower and so all I had to do was wait until the common room was empty so that I could leave. That was easier said than done, however, and there was only so long I could draw out struggling on my Charms homework in order to stay downstairs.

In spite of this and Hermione's continual offer to help me with what should have been a very easy essay for me, I managed to remain in the common room until the others went to bed. I packed away my things and snuck upstairs to put my bag in my dormitory and close the drapes around my bed so that it looked like I was there, being careful not to make any noise that could wake Hermione, Parvati, Lavender or Sally-Anne as I crossed the room and closed the door behind me. I then hurried back downstairs, across the common room and out of the portrait hole. Sir Cadagon had dozed off and was lying asleep against his fat pony meaning I could sneak away unnoticed.

My walk though the castle was slow and silent. I followed the instructions Lupin had given me for the path to take to his office but still kept checking around every corner before I took it to make sure the coast was clear. I couldn't help but think in my head that this would be so much quicker if I just transformed into an animal and ran there unnoticed as a random cat or owl in the castle. I knew Lupin wouldn't be pleased if I did that though. I finally reached the Dark Arts Tower at just gone half past eleven. Once inside its walls, I raced up the spiral staircase to the top and into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. I walked quickly across its wooden floorboards not caring about it creaking and up the small staircase into Lupin's office. I pushed open the door to see all the furniture had been magicked to the edges of the room like Dumbledore had done with the House tables on Hallowe'en evening when we stayed in the Hall and all of Lupin's possessions had been sealed away. I was a bit taken aback by this precaution, considering Lupin was taking the Wolfsbane Potion that allowed him to keep his mind, but didn't bother to question it.

Lupin wasn't in the main room of his office. At the very back was a door that led to his sleeping quarters where I assumed he would be in bed. Cautiously, aware that the moon could appear at any moment, I approached the small room and pushed open the door. Lupin was indeed inside and lying on his bed. However, before I could prepare myself, the full moon shone through the window and the familiar screams of pain started as Lupin began to transform. I stood transfixed as I always did if I witnessed the transformation itself, scared for Lupin's safety. Before I knew it, the large grey wolf I knew to be Moony was in front of me. Its teeth were bared as it growled at me and its brown eyes focused on where I stood at the door.

Without thinking I slammed the door shut and ran for it across Lupin's office. I heard Moony slam his full body against the door and it burst open before I managed to close it properly, throwing me forwards on to the floor. Moony growled viciously at me and lunged. Quickly I pulled out my wand and sent a Stunner at it. Lupin had always said if I wasn't transformed by the time he had, use a Stunner to try and subdue the werewolf for long enough for me to transform. The red sparks struck Moony in the face and he let out a whimper of pain. In that brief moment I thought of a wolf and transformed. I got to my paws and backed away from Moony as he rubbed his leg over his muzzle. I steadied myself for when he noticed me. After a second or two Moony caught my scent and he looked up at me.

 _Where am I?_ he demanded angrily. _Where's the girl who attacked me?_

 _Moony, it's all right_ , I told him as calmly as I could. _You're where Lupin works. You're in his office._

 _Why am I here?_ snapped Moony. He was clearly disturbed by the situation and the unfamiliar surroundings. _Why has he brought me here? I do not wish to be shut away in this human's room. I demand to be returned to the forest!_

 _Moony, calm down,_ I said. _You're not in any danger. Lupin's teaching here, that's why you're in this office, to keep him away from the students._

 _He cannot just lock me up when he pleases!_ snarled Moony. _Take me back to the forest now!_

 _Moony, please –_ but he wouldn't listen.

That night was the first time Moony had ever properly attacked me. We'd had a few scuffles before, nothing major, but the unfamiliar surroundings had agitated Moony and so the wolfish side of him was stronger than Lupin's mind and so he was more vicious than I was used to. My guess is last time Lupin must have destroyed his office pretty badly which explained why all his things had been sealed away. I did my best to hold him back and keep him within the office long enough for me to calm him down to the point where I could properly reason with him about being locked up in the castle, but it didn't change the fact that my wolf form was less than half the size and strength of Moony as a fully grown werewolf. He pushed and scratched me about like I was a ragdoll and it didn't even phase him. Needless to say I was relieved when the full moon finally waned and Lupin transformed back.

I lay there on the floor for a good ten minutes, exhausted and sore from Moony's attacks. In front of me, Lupin was collapsed in a heap unconscious. Slowly I got to my paws, ignoring the stinging cuts beneath my fur, and transformed back. My clothes were torn from Moony's claws and I could see several cuts were bleeding quite badly. I would deal with those later. I had to get Lupin back into bed and healed first. Using the spells he'd taught me I Levitated Lupin's unconscious form back into the small room behind his office and into his bed. I then went to his briefcase and found his bottle of Dittany and a small snuffbox I knew to hold powdered silver in it. I poured some of the Dittany into a pestle then mixed in a teaspoon of the silver that was needed to seal the wounds otherwise they'd stay open. Without it, Dittany wouldn't be able to fully heal the scratches caused by a werewolf's teeth or claws. Carefully I cleaned the newly re-opened scars on Lupin's body and face, dabbing them one by one gently with a cotton ball soaked in the mixture. Every so often Lupin would wince but he didn't wake.

With his wounds seen to, I went over to the mirror on the wardrobe to examine my own. Most of my scars would be covered my robes by the looks of it but I did have one set of three scratches crossing my left cheek. I was going to have to come up with an excuse for those otherwise Harry, Ron and Hermione were bound to get suspicious. At least my wounds always healed properly unlike Lupin's that left a permanent mark if you looked closely. I checked the time to see it was almost four in the morning. I needed to get back to the Tower. Dabbing my scratches with the same solution, I cleared away the potions and left Lupin to sleep off his transformation. There was no way he would be teaching today.

I'm not sure how much sleep I got once I'd snuck back into the Tower and up to the girls' dormitories. All I did know was that when Hermione's alarm went off I silently cursed it from beneath my duvet as I didn't want to get up. If it hadn't of been for Hermione's nagging I would have stayed there too. My body ached all over from the previous night and the scratches stung as I attempted to pull on my uniform. I winced slightly when I caught sight of the one on my cheek as I brushed my teeth; I knew the others were going to question it. Still, I was getting used to their suspicions and questions so I merely shrugged it off and went down to breakfast.

Already knowing that Lupin wasn't going to be teaching today meant that unlike the Gryffindors I wasn't surprised when a different teacher turned up to take our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that day. What made me react in surprise was who it was to be: Snape. Ron, Hermione and I shared a look of shock when Snape swept up the Dark Tower staircase towards where we were waiting, an impatient look already on his face at having to take us for more than one class this week.

'Come on, all of you, inside now,' barked Snape, flicking his wand at the door to open it and let us inside. The rest of the class walked in while Ron, Hermione and I hung back to wait for Harry, who had been detained once again by Wood for what must have been the seventh time in the last two days. Snape walked past us inside and barked for us to hurry up, giving us no choice but to go in when he waited by the door to close it. 'And how is Professor Lupin this morning?' I looked up when I heard him ask this. His voice had been quiet though, and so Ron and Hermione hadn't heard him. A thin smile turned up the corners of Snape's lips when his black eyes fell on the cut on my cheek. I didn't say anything and went to take my seat next to Ron.

'What was that about?' asked Ron.

'I don't know,' I whispered back.

'Sir,' said Dean. Snape's eyes looked up from Lupin's desk where he'd been examining the class notes. 'Where's Professor Lupin.'

'Professor Lupin is currently indisposed,' said Snape shortly.

When he gave no further answer the entire class turned round to look at me. As much as I wanted to give them the usual answer of Lupin's weak immune system I thought it best not to say anything, especially when Snape was currently examining Lupin's work with us and didn't want to encourage him to make any snide remarks about Lupin's health when he was bound to about his teaching. Snape was silent for several minutes as he looked through Lupin's parchments and the plan he'd left for today's lesson.

'Very disorganised,' muttered Snape as he riffled through the piece of parchment on his desk. I frowned. Lupin was not disorganised. 'No record whatsoever of –'

'Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I –'

I looked round when I heard Harry enter. He had stopped when he'd seen Snape standing in Lupin's place, confusion clear on his face. Just like everyone else, he then looked at me for an explanation. I didn't react.

'This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor,' said Snape coolly. 'Sit down.'

Harry didn't move.

'Where's Professor Lupin?' Harry asked.

'He says he's feeling too ill to teach today,' said Snape. That smile from before lifted the corner of his lips again. 'I believe I told you to sit down?'

Again Harry didn't move.

'What's wrong with him?'

'Nothing life-threatening,' said Snape. 'Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty.'

Slowly Harry walked away from the door and took the vacant seat next to Hermione. I kept my eyes firmly away from him to avoid any more questioning looks.

'As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far –'

'Please, sir,' said Hermione, raising her hand, 'we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas and Grindylows, and we're just about to start –'

'Be quiet,' said Snape coldly. 'I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organisation.'

I felt a simmer of anger rise in my chest at Snape's continual belittling of Lupin's organisation but did my best to bite my tongue. I had a feeling that today's lesson was one it was best I stayed silent in. The other Gryffindors, however, jumped to Lupin's defence.

'He's the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had,' said Dean boldly. The rest of the class voiced their agreement. Snape glared at us.

'You are easily satisfied,' he sneered. 'Lupin is hardly over-taxing you – I would expect first-years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss –'

Snape picked up Lupin's copy of our textbook and began to look through it. I watched nervously. He was nearly at the back of the book before his lip twitched at what he'd seen.

'– werewolves,' he finished.

I froze, my heart sinking. He wasn't –

'But, sir,' protested Hermione, as if she couldn't stop herself, 'we're not supposed to do werewolves yet. We're due to start Hinkypunks –'

'Miss Granger,' said Snape, his voice almost a deadly calm. 'I was under the impression that I was taking this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page three hundred and ninety-four.' None of us moved. Snape glanced at us. ' _All_ of you. _Now!_ '

The class muttered sullenly as they turned to the back of their textbooks. I went straight to the page, my eyes staring at the photo of the man transforming into a werewolf with what could only be described as fear. Beside me Ron lazily turned the pages of his textbook. He jumped though when it suddenly snapped to the correct page thanks to Snape's impatience.

'Which of you can tell me how to distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?' Snape asked, walking round the front of Lupin's desk. His black eyes scrutinised the class as he waited for one of us to answer. None of the class raised their hands; I kept my eyes focused on my textbook. Hermione's hand suddenly shot into the air. 'Anyone?' asked Snape, ignoring her. His twisted smile appeared again. 'Or can Miss Black tell us?'

I looked up as everyone turned to me once more. I stared back at Snape as he smirked at me. I knew exactly what he was doing. As calmly as I could, I replied, 'No, sir.'

'Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinctions between –'

'We told you,' said Parvati, 'we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on –'

' _Silence!_ ' barked Snape. 'Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognise a werewolf when they saw one, especially with a student who lives with animals in the class.' His eyes fixed upon me again. While the rest of the class probably thought that met I had a lot of pets at home, only I knew exactly what Snape meant by that. I glared back at him from beneath my fringe. 'I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are ...'

'Please, sir,' said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, and the one time I would have gladly made her shut up, 'the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf –'

'That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger,' said Snape coolly. 'Tell me, are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride for being an insufferable know-it-all. Five more points from Gryffindor.'

Hermione went very red and bowed her head, tears slowly forming in her eyes. As much as normally I would be sympathetic to her, even though everyone in Gryffindor in our year had called her a know-it-all at least once while Ron reminded her of it all the time, I didn't have any for her this time. It was Lupin's neck she was putting on the line there and I would prefer Lupin to keep his job and his secret. If anyone found out he was a werewolf and told their parents, he would surely be fired.

'You asked us a question,' shouted Ron, 'and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?'

The class instantly knew Ron had gone one spell too far. Snape's eyes turned on him menacingly. Slowly he approached the desk Ron and I were sat at. He rested his long fingertips on the wood and leaned forwards until his face was mere inches from Ron's.

'Detention, Weasley,' said Snape silkily. 'And if I ever hear you criticise the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed.'

No one made a sound for the rest of the lesson as Snape set us making notes on werewolves from the textbook while he prowled up and down the aisles between the desks like some sort of bird of prey, examining our previous work we'd done for Lupin. When he looked at mine, he took little interest in my previous work and instead scanned the notes I was making currently. I knew they were bad, but they were bad on purpose; if I showed my true knowledge of werewolves, that would just be another way that Lupin could get exposed. As Snape read through my notes, I heard him give a snort of amusement.

'Very disappointing,' he muttered. 'One would have thought Professor Lupin's niece would at least be able to answer the most basic of questions. Particularly on werewolves.'

Finally the bell rang. I placed my parchment in my textbook and began to pack up my things, eager to get out of the class. Snape, however, held us back.

'You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognise and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention.'

Ron groaned, shouldered his bag then sloped off towards Snape. Harry, Hermione and I followed the rest of the class in making a speedy escape then dropped back from them when we were about halfway down the spiral staircase to wait for him. Below us I could already hear the abuse about Snape starting now that we were out of earshot of the classroom.

'Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job,' said Harry. 'Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this it's all because of that Boggart?'

'I don't know,' said Hermione, 'but I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon ...'

'Jenna, d'you have any idea what's going on between Snape and Lupin?' Harry then asked me. 'You're Lupin's niece, have they ever met before?'

'No,' I said, shaking my head. 'I'm as confused as you are about why Snape's being so harsh on him. They've never met before Lupin started working here, not as far as I know. Lupin certainly has never mentioned Snape before.'

Hermione nodded in understanding to my answer. Harry, however, wasn't as convinced. He seemed to watch me for a few seconds after I'd finished talking, his eyes narrowed in a way that told me he didn't believe what I'd said, even though it was the genuine truth. I honestly didn't know why Snape seemed to hate Lupin so much. I didn't look away from him as he stared at me, not wanting it to appear as if I was lying. As I did so, I noticed Harry's eyes flick to the scars on my cheek. When he, Ron and Hermione had asked me about them early, I had said I'd been helping Lupin with the Grindylow to send it back to be released when it managed to take a swipe at me and caught me on my face. But as I was telling them, I could see Harry didn't believe my story then either. It has not been the first time this year I have noticed Harry being suspicious of me; knowing me so well, Harry had always been able to tell when something was bothering me, and usually knew when I was hiding something. While I had never lied to him before about anything since I first met him, there were certainly a lot of things now I wasn't telling him but not because I didn't want to or didn't trust him, but for the safety of Lupin's career and our friendship.

Just then a furious Ron came storming down the staircase.

'D'you know what that –'

' _Ron!_ ' gasped Hermione as Ron called Snape something rather rude.

'– is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the Hospital Wing. _Without magic!_ Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!'

I frowned at Ron's comment. I may not be able to acknowledge Black to be my father but that didn't mean I wanted him to murder anyone else, even if I did despise Snape and his unfounded tirade against Lupin.

A storm greeted us on Saturday morning when Ron, Hermione and I made our way down to the Quidditch pitch along with the rest of the school. It was so windy and the rain was so heavy that you could barely see anything a few feet in front of you and the Quidditch pitch at the bottom of the hill was just a massive blur of faded colour. I pulled my scarf up over my face and wrapped my coat tightly around myself just to keep warm. I couldn't even begin to imagine how Harry and the other players were going to manage to see the balls during the game. The three of us took our seats in the stands beside Neville, Dean and Seamus, and waited for the match to start.

Madam Hooch and the seven Gryffindor and Hufflepuff players were merely coloured blurs on the muddy green pitch when they finally came out of the changing rooms. Somewhere beneath the sound of the rain and the wind blew Madam Hooch's whistle and the match began. I didn't bother to attempt to listen to the commentary that Lee Jordan no doubt was providing as usual and instead did my best to follow the action by squinting through the rain while I hugged my coat and hood to my body. I could just about hear the occasional drone of the horn that signalled that a team had scored but other than that I had no idea what was going on. About twenty minutes in, however, play stopped and the Gryffindor team flew to the ground. It looked like Wood had called a timeout.

Hermione prodded my side and told me she would be right back before disappearing. I merely nodded and allowed her to get past. A few minutes later a little black streak ran across the pitch. I guess she'd had an idea or something to help the team. After all, Harry was probably having worse trouble than us trying to see through the rain with his glasses. The black streak ran back off the pitch and play resumed. Sure enough, Hermione rejoined us a few minutes later.

'I used Impervious on Harry's glasses,' she panted, wiping rain from her face. 'Hopefully he'll be able to see the Snitch if it appears now.'

'Did they say what the score was?' asked Ron.

'We're up fifty points,' said Hermione.

'Let's hope it stays like that,' I said, shivering from the cold.

The weather got worse as the match progressed and soon enough thunder rumbled loudly over the pitch and lighting cracked through the iron-grey clouds. Ron, Hermione and I did our best to cheer on Harry whenever we thought we saw him streak past but it was almost impossible to distinguish between the players. I glanced into the sky thinking how much the flagpoles on the top of the Quidditch Stadium would be great lightning masts in this storm when something in one of the top stands caught my eye. A dark figure was sitting there. With a bright flash of lightning, the figure became illuminated and I saw the silhouette of what looked like a large shaggy black dog. I became transfixed, my eyes staring at it in those brief seconds it was illuminated, until it vanished back into the darkness.

Suddenly I felt a cold start deep in my bones. The sound of the wind and the rain and the thunder began to ebb away though the storm still raged around the stadium. I looked away from the players and down to the bottom of the pitch. From all sides of the stands a swarm of Dementors was slowly filling the grass clearly unable to keep away from the mass of students and the excited emotions they were experiencing. Instantly I felt myself begin to faint. I reached out wildly and grabbed on to Hermione who turned round just in time before I fell to the ground. I fought to stay conscious long enough to look into the sky to find Harry; if I was being affected by them by being in the stands then he must too be feeling their presence up in the sky. It didn't take long to find him as he was the only broom not moving. All of a sudden a bright white light filled the stadium that I knew straight away wasn't lightning. A large silver animal swooped over the pitch, glitters of red and gold just visible, and the Dementors began to flee. Just in time too as I finally gave in and allowed myself to collapse.

I awoke about ten minutes later in the Hospital Wing with Ron and Hermione by my bedside. They both looked concerned but I assured them I would be fine once I'd had some chocolate because the Dementors hadn't been too close to me. Besides, I was more concerned about Harry. I grabbed a block of the chocolate on my bedside table then got up and walked over to the bed surrounded by the rest of the Gryffindor team apart from Wood.

'Lucky the ground was so soft,' Angelina was saying.

'I thought he was dead for sure,' said Alicia.

'But he didn't even break his glasses,' added Katie. 'That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life.'

'He looks peaky, doesn't he?' said Ron, peering at Harry's pale face from around his brother's shoulder.

'What do you expect?' asked George.

'He fell at least fifty feet,' said Fred.

'Yeah, Ron, let's walk you off the Astronomy Tower.'

'And see how you look.'

'Probably a right sight better than he normally does.'

Everyone looked round to see Harry had regained consciousness, a small smirk on his face at Fred and George's threats to throw Ron off the Astronomy Tower. A wave of relief that he was all right swept over all of us.

'Harry!' said Fred. 'How are you feeling?'

'What happened?' Harry said suddenly, sitting bolt upright. He then winced when he realised how stiff he was.

'You fell off,' said Fred. 'Must've been – what – fifty feet?'

'But the match,' said Harry. 'What happened? Are we having a reply?'

The rest of the Gryffindor team exchanged nervous looks.

'We didn't – _lose_?'

'Diggory got the Snitch,' said George. 'Just after you fell. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square ,,, even Wood admits it.'

'Where is Wood?' asked Harry.

'Still in the showers,' said Fred. 'We think he's trying to drown himself.' Harry sat back on his pillows, his face showing his disappointment at Gryffindor's defeat, then put his head to his knees. 'C'mon, Harry,' said Fred, rubbing his shoulder, 'you've never missed the Snitch before.'

'There had to be one time you didn't get it,' added George.

'It's not over yet,' said Fred. 'We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff lose to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin ...'

'Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points,' George pointed out.

'But if they beat Ravenclaw ...'

'No way, Ravenclaw are too good. But if Slytherin lose against Hufflepuff ...'

'It all depends on the points – a margin of a hundred either way –'

I zoned out slightly as Fred and George continued to argue about how many points which team would have to get to be able to make sure Gryffindor didn't win the Quidditch Cup and so began to suck on my chocolate to regain some strength. A few minutes later the Gryffindor team was shooed away by Madam Pomfrey and Ron, Hermione and I were left alone with Harry. I'd never seen him look so defeated before.

'Dumbledore was really angry,' Hermione braved in an attempt to make Harry feel better. 'I've never seen him like that before. He ran out on to the pitch as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium straight away ... he was furious they'd come into the grounds, we heard him –'

'Then he magicked you on to a stretcher,' said Ron. 'And walked up to the school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were ...'

Ron didn't say what everyone had thought. He didn't need to, we all knew what he meant. Harry remained silent as Gryffindor's defeat sunk in before finally asking, 'Did someone get my Nimbus?'

I saw out the corner of my eye Ron and Hermione share a nervous look. I frowned. Where was Harry's broom?

'Er –'

'What?' asked Harry.

'Well ... when you fell off, it got blown away,' said Hermione nervously.

'And?'

'And it hit – it hit – oh, Harry – it hit the Whomping Willow.'

 _It didn't_ , I thought. That broom was everything to Harry.

'And?' asked Harry weakly.

'Well, you know the Whomping Willow,' said Ron. 'It – it doesn't like being hit.'

'Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came round,' said Hermione.

From beneath Harry's bed Hermione picked up what looked like a large bundle of branches wrapped in a blanket. It was the broken and splintered remains of Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, the handle snapped cleanly in two and the twigs of the tail torn from their shaft. The broom had been destroyed.

* * *

 **AN: apologies for the delay in this chapter but I've had a rough few months since I last posted. Now though, I have moments where I can dedicate to writing this and finishing it off so you can see a better developed story. Hope people are liking the changes.**


	17. The Grim Reality

Chapter 16

The Grim Reality

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the Hospital Wing over the weekend and for once Harry didn't argue. A part of me believed he was still feeling humiliated by Gryffindor's defeat and the fainting because of the Dementors again. Otherwise he would have tried to get out of there away from Madam Pomfrey's smothering care as soon as possible. Beside his bed he kept the shattered remains of his Nimbus Two Thousand still wrapped in its blanket. It was still there when I visited him a few days later to see how he was. When I arrived I saw he had a look of deep thought on his face as he stared out of the window behind his bed.

'Hey,' I said quietly, announcing myself. Harry looked up as I walked over to his bed. He shifted himself round so he could face me. He crossed his legs so I could sit on his bed. 'How are you feeling?' I asked cautiously.

'I'm fine,' said Harry stiffly. I hesitated. Harry saw this. 'Sorry,' he then mumbled.

'You're still angry about the match, aren't you?' I asked.

Harry stared at me, half surprised, half almost annoyed, that I knew how he was feeling. Well, when you have known someone as long as I had known Harry, you do start to recognise certain signs that tell you how they're feeling. I tilted my head to one side in a look of sympathy.

'Harry, it's not your fault the Dementors affect you the way they do,' I told him gently. 'You didn't ask to have the memories you have.'

Harry frowned, 'I know but – it's frustrating!' he growled. 'Every time they come anywhere near me, I collapse. How come you're able to hold up against them better than I can? You get affected as badly as I do. Why can't I fight them?'

'Harry,' I took a breath, unsure of whether to say what I was about to say or not, 'that night on the train wasn't the first time I encountered a Dementor. I've been near them before, that's why I can withstand them a bit longer than you can. But it doesn't mean I don't feel the same things you do, that it doesn't hurt just as much. We both have memories that the Dementors can use against us. Lupin told you they feed off happy thoughts to leave you with your worst memories. You have the worst ones of all. That's why it's so hard for you to fight them.'

Harry looked away. It was another few minutes before he responded.

'I hear my Mum,' he said quietly. 'The night Voldemort killed her. I hear her plead with him, every time those things come near me.' He paused. 'It's … it's the first time I've ever heard her voice.'

Harry and I sat in silence after that revelation. Harry had never really spoken about his parents before, not like this.

'You really don't remember them, do you?' I asked. Harry shook his head. 'I don't – remember my parents either,' I said shakily. 'My Mum died when I was barely a month old. As for my dad …' I stopped. I blinked, unable to continue. Harry looked at me. 'I see her die each time the Dementors are near me. You're not the only one who wishes you could fight them. Just so you don't have to hear them again.'

'Jen, I –' Harry started but he couldn't seem to find the words. Instead, he simply took my hand. I looked at him, his green eyes staring back into mine. He gave it a squeeze. 'I didn't mean to sound like I was the only one who feels like this.'

'I know,' I replied gently.

Harry and I shared a small smile. He then sat back on his pillows, sighing.

'Jenna, can I ask you something?' he said. 'But don't tell Ron or Hermione. At the Quidditch match, I saw the Grim again, up in the stands.' I was momentarily taken aback by Harry's confession. I hadn't known he'd seen that dog too.

'So?' I asked.

'D'you believe all that stuff Trelawney said about the Grim? What Ron's said?'

I blinked, confused. 'What about it?'

'You're not worried?' asked Harry, surprised.

'I have no reason to be,' I shrugged. 'These death omens, they're only as true as people make them to be. Both Ron and Hermione have valid arguments about the Grim, but a death omen is only as real as someone believes it to be. If you believe you saw the Grim, then so be it. Start surrounding yourself with Protection Spells. If not, then you don't need to be constantly looking over your shoulder for something that isn't real.'

I wasn't entirely sure if Harry had taken my advice in regards to his continual seeing of the Grim. Nevertheless he returned to class on Monday morning where he once again had to endure Malfoy's, now bandage free, endless taunting over his latest encounter with the Dementors and Gryffindor's defeat over the weekend. I merely watched him from across the Hall at breakfast, thoroughly unimpressed by his impressions and wondering if I could fire a Trip Jinx at him without anyone noticing. At least it would make his "act" much more convincing. Malfoy's imitations continued into our Potions class later that day, his Dementor impressions carrying across the dungeon to the back where Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were sitting. Ron finally lost it after several hours of this and flung a crocodile heart at him across the dungeon. It hit him in the face with a very wet slap. Seconds later Snape had taken fifty points from Gryffindor.

Ron's foul mood lingered all the way through the castle to the Dark Arts Tower and our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. As we approached I could hear the murmuring from the rest of the class about who was going to be taking our class.

'If Snape's taking Defence Against the Dark Arts again, I'm going sick,' said Ron darkly. We reached the top of the spiral staircase and came to a stop. 'Check who's in there, Hermione.'

Hermione and I went ahead and peered round the classroom door. With his back to the door, Professor Lupin was mulling over something on his desk as he waited for us to arrive. I wasn't surprised to see him standing there; it had been a good few days since the full moon meaning his energy would have returned and his illness gone. I walked inside while Hermione gave the all clear to Ron. The class began to enter and Professor Lupin turned round. His eyes met mine as I took my seat. I could see his robes were hanging off him a little more than usual and he had dark shadows under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't had much sleep in the last couple of days. As he looked at me, I saw his eyes focus on the faint remnants of the scratches on my cheek. I looked away, my hair falling across my face to cover them. Professor Lupin turned away and called for the class's attention. In seconds they exploded into a flood of complaints about Snape.

'It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he set us homework?'

'We don't know anything about werewolves –'

'– two rolls of parchment!'

Professor Lupin's eyes observed us all as we complained about Snape's lesson while he had been ill. I watched as his eyes flickered slightly when Dean shouted out about him setting us work on werewolves when we didn't know anything about them. Well, almost none of us did.

'Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?' asked Professor Lupin mildly, though there was a frown on his face.

'Yes, but he said we were really behind –'

'– he wouldn't listen –'

'– _two rolls of parchment!_ '

To my surprise, Professor Lupin smiled.

'Don't worry, I'll speak to Professor Snape,' he told us. 'You don't have to do the essay.'

The class broke out into excited and relieved chatter. Beside me, however, Hermione's face fell.

'Oh _no_ ,' she said. 'I've already finished it.'

'Oh, brother,' I breathed, letting my head fall into my hand in exasperation.

The lesson after that was as enjoyable as always. This time, Professor Lupin had brought in a Hinkypunk for us to examine. It sat alone in a large glass box surrounded by its own little cloud of smoke that seemed to emanate from its body. It stood on a single wispy leg and seemed to sway gently from side to side, a small golden light glowing from a lantern that it held in its hand. Professor Lupin told us how the Hinkypunk would use the lantern to lure weary travellers into the bogs that it lurks in until they were lost in the fogs and trapped in the deep water. Muggles were supposedly more susceptible to falling for a Hinkypunk's tricks while there were a few ways that wizards could fight them off by illuminating them until their bodies stiffen enough for them to be Stunned. When the bell rang, Professor Lupin dismissed us. I gathered up my things and made to leave when he appeared at my desk side. I looked up at him.

'When did you get those cuts?' he asked me quietly.

I didn't say anything and instead excused myself to leave. Lupin never remembered what happened during a full moon, even if he drank the Wolfsbane Potion to keep his mind. A part of me believed he repressed the memories as they were too painful for him to remember what he might of done or who he could have killed. I didn't want to contribute to it by telling him if he attacked me or not during them. I picked up my bag and headed for the door with the rest of the class. Lupin didn't stop me, instead calling Harry back so he could have a word with him. I glanced back at them then hurried to catch up with Ron and Hermione to return to the Gryffindor Tower.

Harry rejoined us a short while later in the Tower. He seemed a lot more cheerful than he had been this morning when he had returned from the Hospital Wing and was beaming to himself about something. He disappeared up into the boys' dormitories to get changed out of his robes and dump his bag then returned to join Ron, Hermione and I in our favourite corner in the common room.

'You're looking very cheerful,' commented Hermione, looking up from who knew which one of her numerous essays she was already working on. 'What did Professor Lupin want?'

'He asked me about the match and about my broom,' said Harry. 'He'd heard about the Dementors coming into the grounds.'

It wasn't surprising that Lupin had heard about the Dementors invading the Quidditch pitch on Saturday. Madam Pomfrey would have obviously informed him that I had collapsed in the stands when the Dementors appeared. And the fact that Harry had collapsed would have been news that spread even without Malfoy's continual attempts to humiliate him more afterwards.

'What did he say when you told him?' I asked.

'He was sorry to hear about my broom,' said Harry, 'and I asked him about how he made the Dementor go away on the train. He said there were things you could do to make them back off.'

'Like what?' asked Ron.

'He didn't say exactly what,' said Harry, 'but he said he'd try and help me learn the spells in case the Dementors come to anymore matches.'

'Defences?' repeated Hermione, her voice slightly breathless. 'Dementors are horrible. Whatever spells Professor Lupin used to get rid of them must be very advanced magic.'

'They are,' I confirmed without even thinking about it. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at me. 'Well,' I hesitated, 'from what Lupin's told me.' I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I desperately tried to think of how to get out of the corner I'd put myself in. 'I read about Dementors in one of his books and he told me about how wizards protect themselves against ones that desert Azkaban in search for other food sources. I don't know anything about the spells themselves though.'

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry made to say something then think better of it. Instead he turned to Ron and said, 'Lupin's going to give me lessons after the holidays. That way if the Dementors get into the grounds again I'll be able to defend myself.'

'Harry, that's going to be very difficult magic,' said Hermione. 'Don't expect any miracles and being able to do it on the first try.'

'If it stops him fainting though, it'll be worth it, right?' argued Ron. 'And it'll shut Malfoy up if Harry can send those Dementors flying.'

I frowned but remained silent at Ron's notion of Dementors "flying" when repelled. Dementors floated naturally, they wouldn't be sent flying in the first place.

Things finally began to pick up as the term drew to an end and the Christmas holidays got nearer. At the end of November Ravenclaw had their first match against Hufflepuff, clearly flattening them and taking the lead in the score table which was actually a good thing, as it meant Gryffindor weren't out of the running yet for the Quidditch Cup. With hope restored for Quidditch, the weather too seemed to turn around and by December the iron grey clouds had vanished to be replaced by a dazzling opaline white sky and the grounds were covered in a glittering frost.

The castle too became transformed as Christmas neared. Professor Flitwick was the first to decorate his classroom with tiny little lights that turned out to be bunches of real fairies. The corridors became warmer as banners and wreathes of holly lined their walls and the Great Hall was decorated in its usual festive way with its twelve Christmas trees provided by Hagrid. When Professor McGonagall came round one morning at breakfast to take names for those who were staying, Harry and Ron signed up almost immediately, Ron stating because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy back at The Burrow, while Hermione insisted she wanted to use the library over the holidays to keep up on top of her enormous workload. I too signed up after them. Lupin had decided to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas because Snape was also doing so.

'Why does Snape's staying here have anything to do with it?' I asked Lupin when he told me.

'Because of the Wolfsbane Potion,' Lupin explained. 'While the ingredients are very expensive, Professor Snape is able to make it for me at a fraction of the cost by using the school supplies. Professor Dumbledore is doing me a big favour getting Professor Snape to brew it, saving me some gold in the process.'

Just before the end of term, much to everyone's delight apart from Harry's, there was to be another trip down to Hogsmeade. When I read the notice my mind once again thought back to Black and I sighed. For a man I had nothing to do with, his presence was certainly having quite an effect on my life. Being cooped up inside the castle all the time and now under an even closer watch from Lupin. He even pulled me aside one evening in the library when I was doing my homework with Harry, Ron and Hermione to tell me he wanted to teach me how to protect myself as well from the Dementors just as a precaution but that we would do it separately from Harry's lessons. When I asked why he didn't give me an answer but I knew it had something to do with Black and Lupin's constant worry he'd try to get to me if he found out if I was alive. Wherever Black was though, he was doing a very good job at keeping out of sight from those who were after him and the _Daily Prophet_ had been silent for weeks on his whereabouts. It still didn't change the protection surrounding the school and the Dementors were still firmly in position at the entrances of the castle, held in place by Dumbledore's wrath after what happened at the Quidditch match, and the fact I still wouldn't be allowed to go to Hogsmeade.

'We can do all our Christmas shopping there!' said Hermione brightly, reading the notice beside me. 'Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!'

'I thought dentists were against sweets?' I asked her.

'Only Muggle ones,' said Hermione. 'They'd probably welcome the idea of a sweet that would make a child floss more.'

I rolled my eyes.

On Saturday morning, Harry and I said goodbye to Ron and Hermione as they and the rest of the school departed for the village, all wrapped up tight in their scarves and cloaks. The weather had taken a cold turn and snow was starting to fall. Hermione gave me a look that clearly said 'Look after him' as she and Ron walked off, leaving Harry and I alone in the courtyard. We went back inside and climbed the steps of the Clock Tower. When we reached the top, Harry stopped. I looked round to see him staring out through the dial of the Clock itself, looking at the now snow-covered Courtyard.

'Harry?' I asked. 'You OK?'

'I'm going to Hogsmeade,' replied Harry, a defiant tone in his voice. 'I don't care what McGonagall says, I'm going.'

'How?' I asked. 'There are Dementors at every entrance. You won't be able to get past them.'

'My Dad's Cloak,' said Harry. I made to argue that the Dementors would still sense his presence but Harry cut me off. 'Don't try and stop me, Jen,' he said firmly. 'I don't care if Black's on the loose. Why should I be kept locked up because of it? I'm not scared of him.'

I frowned, then said, 'I know you're not. And I'm not going to try and stop you.'

'Good,' said Harry.

'But if you do go, can I come?'

Harry looked at me, almost surprised.

'What about Lupin?' he asked.

'He'll shout at me if he found out,' I shrugged, 'but he's got to learn not to be so overprotective of me. He can't always be there to stop me from getting hurt. It can be kind of annoying sometimes.'

'Jenna, he's your uncle,' said Harry. 'He said no to you going to the village.'

'And your aunt and uncle didn't sign your permission form, nor would Professor McGonagall or Fudge,' I countered. I raised my eyebrow at him.

'Good point,' Harry muttered.

'So how are we going to do this?'

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, silvery piece of material: his Invisibility Cloak. We looked out the window again. The Courtyard was deserted and the castle behind us was completely silent.

'Right, let's go,' said Harry.

Harry and I hurried back down the stairs in the Clock Tower to the Courtyard and hid behind a pillar at the door. Harry then threw the Cloak around us and we stepped carefully outside. The number of times Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had all hidden ourselves under his Cloak, it now came second nature to us on how to walk together whilst wearing it. There was only one thing we didn't count on. While the Cloak hid us completely from sight, it didn't stop our footprints from appearing in the snow. From out of nowhere two sets of footprints appeared as if some invisible stamp had been pressed down into it, tracing each step we took. Instantly I pulled Harry back into the shelter of the edge of the courtyard where the snow hadn't fallen and pulled the Cloak off us. There was no way we wouldn't get caught without someone spotting two pairs of footprints appearing in the snow with no one there to cause them.

'Jenna, no one will notice them,' insisted Harry, 'not when we reach the footpath and they blend in with everyone else's.'

'Everyone else will be in the village by now,' I said. 'Even if our footprints blend in, if someone passes us on our way down there and sees two sets of prints being left with nobody to cause them, they'll get suspicious.'

'So how d'you suggest we get there then?' asked Harry.

'Psst – Harry!'

Harry and I looked round. From the entrance to the Courtyard, Fred and George were waving us over to go back inside the castle. Curious, Harry pocketed his Cloak and we hurried over to them. They didn't say anything more at first, instead telling us to follow them and leading us back inside. We walked past the Hospital Wing and down a corridor that led us back to the fourth floor. They remained silent as they led Harry and I down one corridor after another until we walked back outside across the Suspension Bridge that led to the mid level of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower. Once inside, Fred and George took us back down to the base of the Tower where the statue of the One-Eyed Witch was. Here they pointed us into an empty classroom just opposite on the third floor.

'Are you going to tell us what you are doing?' asked Harry finally. Fred checked the classroom was empty and that we hadn't been followed before letting us in. 'How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?'

'We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go,' said Fred. He winked at us and pushed open the door. 'Come in here …'

Harry glanced at me then followed the twins inside. I did so too though I was apprehensive about what they were planning. You could never truly trust Fred and George not get you into trouble somehow. George closed the door behind us then stood next to Fred behind a desk. Both of them had wide grins on their faces.

'Early Christmas present for you, Harry,' announced George.

From inside his cloak Fred pulled out a large, thin rectangular piece of parchment. It looked very old and seemed to have been stained from use but it was completely blank. There was no writing on it whatsoever. I frowned. What was Harry going to do with an old bit of parchment from Fred and George?

'What's that supposed to be?' Harry asked.

'This, Harry, is the secret of our success,' said George, a note of fondness in his voice.

'It's a wrench, giving it to you,' said Fred, 'but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours.'

'Anyway, we know it off by heart,' said George. 'We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore.'

'And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?' asked Harry sceptically.

'A bit of old parchment!' said Fred. He scrunched his eyes as if Harry had said something offensive. 'Explain, George.'

'Well …' started George, 'when we were in our first year, Harry – young, carefree and innocent –'

'Since when were you two "innocent"?' I asked.

'– well, more innocent than we are now – we got into a spot of bother with Filch.'

'Of course, you did,' I sighed.

'We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason –' said Fred.

'So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual –'

'– detention –'

'– disembowelment –'

'– and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_.'

Harry and I looked at each other, a grin starting on his face, 'Don't tell me –'

'Well, what would you've done?' said Fred. 'George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open and grabbed – _this_.'

'It's not as bad as it sounds, you know,' said George. 'We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it.'

'And you know how to work it?'

'Oh yes,' smirked Fred. 'This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school.'

'You're winding me up,' said Harry, staring at the parchment.

'It does all sound a bit farfetched,' I added.

'Oh, are we?' said George.

He laid the parchment down on the desk between the four of us, took out his wand and touched it lightly to the parchment, ' _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_.'

At once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point George's wand had touched the parchment. They joined each other, they criss-crossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly black words. Harry opened the parchment. It was showing every little detail of the Hogwarts castle and the grounds. Tiny footprints with labels at each of them traced the parchment in different places showing the students walking around in that exact area. My eyes flicked to where Harry, Fred, George and I would be and sure enough, four pairs of feet stood still in a small classroom just off the third floor corridor, exactly where we were. This was incredible. Harry folded the parchment over again to look at the front.

 _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs  
_ _Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers  
_ _are proud to present  
_ _THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

'"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers, are proud to present the Marauder's Map",' I read aloud.

 _The Marauders?_ I thought to myself. _No way._

Harry opened up the parchment once more and leaned over the desk to take a closer look at it. In the top corner pacing back and forth was a small dot labelled Professor Dumbledore; another dot was walking the length of the second floor corridor with the name Mrs Norris floating beside it; and another was zooming back and forth across the parchment labelled Peeves, who seemed to be causing chaos in the Trophy Room a few corridors away from us. It was showing us almost every inch of the castle, including several passages that neither Harry nor I recognised and had never come across before. And each one seemed to lead –

'Right into Hogsmeade,' said Fred, as if he was reading our minds. He ran his finger along the one closest to where we were standing that seemed to start at the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. 'There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four –' he pointed out four different passages on different parts of the map, '– but we're sure we're the only ones who know about _these_. Don't both with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in – completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance.'

My eyes instantly followed where Fred was pointing. Sure enough there was a small drawing of the Whomping Willow on the parchment, it's ink branches gently swaying back and forth in an invisible wind, and beneath it were lines vanishing off the parchment with a scribbled message saying "to Hogsmeade". I already knew which passage this was. It must've been the passage Lupin used to be led down to get to the Shrieking Shack during his transformations. He'd told me about how the passageway had been protected to stop other students getting near it and discovering his secret or seeing him transformed. The Willow must have been planted over it to that job. It certainly would have kept students away as nothing could ever get anywhere near it without being whipped by its branches.

'But this one here,' Fred was saying, 'this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump.'

'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs,' sighed George fondly. 'We owe them so much.'

'Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of law-breakers,' said Fred solemnly.

 _Not all of them were men_ , I thought, though it appeared my Mum had decided to keep out of being named on the Map. If they knew who was responsible for it, however, I think even Fred and George would have a newfound respect for Lupin. He may seem mild mannered but I guess even the most easy-going of people can hide a more tricky side. I just had never thought of Lupin as a man who'd pull pranks though.

'Right,' said George briskly, 'don't forget to wipe it after you've used it –'

'– or anyone can read it,' warned Fred.

'Just tap it again and say, "Mischief Managed!" and it'll go blank.'

'So, young Harry and Jenna,' said Fred, in what I assumed was an impersonation of Percy, and quite accurate at that, 'mind you behave yourself.'

'See you in Honeydukes,' added George with a wink.

Fred and George left the room both with wide satisfied smirks on their faces. Once they were gone I turned to Harry. He was still staring at the Map, watching the tiny dots wandering across the parchment as it recorded the real person's footsteps.

'Harry?' I asked, breaking the silence. 'I'm not sure if this is a good idea.'

'Jenna,' started Harry slowly, 'd'you realise what we have here? It's a Map of the _entire school_! We can get anywhere and Filch wouldn't even know!'

'I can see that,' I argued, 'but …' I hesitated. OK, so I knew exactly who had made that Map – namely Lupin and his friends when they were at school by the looks of it – but that Map could get Harry into a lot of trouble and even danger. Black helped make that Map. Anywhere Harry went on it, Black would know too. 'Remember what Mr Weasley said last year,' I said. ' _Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain_.'

'Jenna,' said Harry, a hint of desperation in his voice at the opportunity that was in front of him. 'This is my only chance to see Hogsmeade. Fred and George have used this Map for years and nothing bad has happened to them. How dangerous could it be?'

I was torn. I didn't want to stop Harry going to Hogsmeade, not when I wanted to go so badly too, but at the same time I knew that whatever was on that Map, Black knew about too.

'OK, fine, just promise me you won't use that Map for anything else,' I said.

'Fine, I promise,' said Harry. 'Now let's go!'

Harry checked the Map, tracing his finger along the passageway leading to Honeydukes cellar that we were going to take. Once memorised, Harry folded the Map back up and shoved it into his pocket. He pulled open the door to the classroom and peered outside. There was no one in the corridor. Giving me a nod of his head, Harry and I slipped out through the open door and behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. I looked up at the statue. It was completely solid. It didn't look like there was any sort of button or lever to press to open it up.

'How do we get in?' I whispered.

'Not sure,' Harry whispered back. He pulled out the Map to check it again. I peered over his shoulder. The two dots representing Harry and I were now positioned behind the statue on the Map but they weren't doing anything. But then Harry's dot moved. A tiny little line poked out from his dot, kind of like if Harry was using his wand, and tapped the statue. Then, just above it, a speech bubble appeared with the word ' _Dissendium_ ' written in it in the same curly writing that was on the front pages. Harry and I glanced at each other. I guess we had to do that. So, Harry took out his wand, tapped the statue and whispered, ' _Dissendium_!'

At first nothing seemed to happen. Then, suddenly, there was a loud clunk and the hump of the statue dropped down and opened to reveal a hole wide enough for someone to slip through it. A wave of excitement rushed through me and I forgot about how much trouble Harry and I would get in if we got caught. I looked at him to see a broad grin on his face. I grinned back. With another check of the corridor, Harry pulled himself up and into the hole, turning round to pull me up after him. He then took a step forwards and disappeared down the tunnel beneath us. I glanced back over my shoulder into the castle then, with a hint of concern crossing over me, I pushed myself forwards and slid down into the tunnel as the hole closed up behind me.

My feet hit the ground with a dull thump. I stood straight and looked around. It appeared that we were in a very dark earthy tunnel. I could just see Harry's outline in the darkness. I reached into my trouser pocket and pulled out my wand and lit it up. Upwards I could just see where the entrance to the passageway was for us to get back through later, and ahead was a long tunnel that disappeared out of the reach of my wand's light. Beside me Harry too had lit his wand and had the Map out once again. With another tap, he cleared it then put it away in his pocket.

The passage was not short, considering it reached all the way from Hogwarts down to Hogsmeade. Nor was it straight as our light trailed along its floor, disappearing out of sight each time the passage twisted or turned. Harry and I walked quickly and silently along it. I could almost feel the excitement coming from Harry at the thought that Hogsmeade was only at the other end of this tunnel. He pounded the ground at such a pace that I almost had to run to keep up with him. The tunnel remained flat for most of the walk until finally, after about twenty minutes or so, it began to rise. We must be near the other end. We sped up. Another ten minutes passed and finally our wand light illuminated a set of old worn stone stairs leading upwards out of the tunnel. My legs were aching by the time we finally reached the top when Harry's head hit against a trapdoor.

Harry rubbed his head where it had hit the door above him. We shared a look then carefully Harry pushed the trapdoor open and we peered through the small gap it made. My eyes scanned the room in front of us. We were very clearly in the cellar of Honeydukes. Stacks of boxes lined the floor and the shelves on the wall, each labelled with the name of whatever sweet was kept inside it. There was a lot of dust on the floor though and it was all I could do to stop myself from sneezing. Harry pushed the trapdoor open a bit further and climbed out. I followed after him and together we hid behind the nearest pile of crates, the trapdoor disappearing into the stone so it was almost invisible to the naked eye. On the opposite side of the room there was a wooden staircase that led upstairs to the shop floor. In the distance I could hear the sound of chattering voices and the ring of the doorbell whenever someone entered the shop. Harry and I crept over to the staircase when above us we heard the opening and shutting of a door. Quickly we ducked underneath the stairs.

'And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out –' called a woman's voice.

A pair of feet appeared between the slats of the wooden stairs. Harry grabbed my hand and pulled us behind a nearby large crate. I watched as the owner of the shop, an older bald man with a slight hunch and rather large rear, bent over a box on the opposite side of the room to us and began rummaging around in it. I felt Harry grab my hand a second time and we hurried up the wooden staircase and slipped through the door at the top. We found ourselves behind the counter of Honeydukes where the woman whose voice we'd heard earlier was currently serving a group of excited students. We crept sideways around the counter and underneath the little wooden flap that was used to step from behind it to the shop floor.

I straightened up and looked round. Honeydukes was packed with students. There was barely enough room to breathe in here it was so busy. Harry and I needn't have worried about being noticed when there was so much to look at here. There were shelves stacked full of the most succulent-looking sweets I'd ever seen before. Chunks of nougat, fat squares of honey-coloured toffee, lines of chocolates stacked in neat rows; a large barrel in the corner was filled to its brim with nothing but Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans while another had Fizzing Whizzbees; a set of shelves along the back wall had the sign 'Special Effect Sweets' hung above it: Droobles Best Blowing Gum that made bluebell coloured un-pop-able bubbles, the Toothflossing Stringmints that Hermione had wanted to buy, black Pepper Imps that made you smoke at the mouth, something called Ice Mice that would make your teeth squeak, even fragile-looking sugar spun quills you could suck on while you worked.

Harry and I slipped through the crowd. We passed a group of fourth-year girls all crowding round the Sugared Butterfly Wings and another of sixth-years all reaching for the Liquorice Wands. In the far corner there was another sign reading 'Unusual Tastes' hanging above a set of shelves containing large mason jars of sweets in a range of rather off-putting colours. In front of them I saw stood Ron and Hermione, both of whom were examining a tray of what looked like blood-red lollipops. Harry must've seen them too as he nudged me in the side then nodded his head at them. We slipped through the crowd over to them.

'Urgh, no, Harry won't want on of those, they're for vampires, I expect,' Hermione was saying.

'How about these?' Ron asked, picking up a jar of something called Cockroach Cluster. 'And Jenna might like those Fudge Flies.'

'Definitely not,' said Harry.

'And I'll pass on the Flies,' I added.

Ron and Hermione jumped and span round. The jar of Cockroach Cluster narrowly missed being dropped.

' _Harry! Jenna!_ ' squealed Hermione. 'What are you doing here? How – how did you –?'

'Wow!' said Ron, looking rather more impressed than Hermione did. 'You've learnt to Apparate!'

''Course we haven't,' said Harry.

'Then how on earth did you two get here without anyone seeing you?' hissed Hermione.

'With this,' said Harry. He pulled the corner of the Marauder's Map out of his pocket just enough for Ron and Hermione to see it.

'What's that?' asked Ron.

'It's called the Marauder's Map,' said Harry, dropping his voice. 'Fred and George gave it to us. It's a Map of the entire school and all its passageways. It shows everything, even where all the students and teachers are at that very moment. It led me and Jenna straight here through a passage that led to the cellar of the shop.'

Hermione looked shocked. Ron looked annoyed.

'How come Fred and George never gave it to _me_!' said Ron. 'I'm their brother.'

'But Harry isn't going to keep it!' said Hermione. 'He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?'

'No, I'm not!' said Harry.

'Are you mad?' said Ron, staring at Hermione. 'Hand in something that good?'

'If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it!' said Harry. 'Filch would know Fred and George nicked it!'

'But what about Sirius Black?' hissed Hermione. Instantly I tensed. 'He could be using one of the passages on that Map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!'

'Hermione does have a point,' I said. In fact, I knew Hermione was exactly right, as I had thought the exact same thing. I just couldn't turn around and tell them that that Map was written by mine and Harry's fathers and Lupin and so Black knew exactly what was on it without giving too much away. 'Black could know any number of the passages from when he went to school. We don't know for sure how many of them are secure.'

'He can't be getting in through a passage,' said Harry quickly. 'There are seven secret tunnels on the Map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And the other three – one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one we just came through – well – it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar – so unless he knew it was there –'

Harry seemed to hesitate and fell silent. Ron, however, cleared his throat and pointed to a notice posted on the door to the sweetshop.

 _BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC  
_ _Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors  
_ _will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after  
_ _sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of  
_ _Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of  
_ _Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your  
_ _shopping well before nightfall.  
_ _Merry Christmas!_

'See?' said Ron quietly. 'I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!'

'Yes, but – but –' Hermione seemed to be searching for any kind of argument in favour of handing in the Map. 'Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade, he hasn't got a signed form! And neither does Jenna. Professor Lupin would be so angry if he knew she was here. If anyone finds out, they'll both be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet – what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?'

'He'd have a job spotting Harry in this,' said Ron, nodding his head at the swirling snow outside in the street. 'Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas, Harry and Jenna deserve a break.'

Hermione bit her lip, unconvinced.

'Are you going to report us?' Harry asked, grinning.

'Oh – of course not – but honestly, Harry –'

'Seen the Fizzing Whizzbees, Harry?'

Ron grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him over to where a jar of fluorescent red balls of sherbet sat on a dresser shelf. Beside me, Hermione gave me a stern look as if it was my fault for letting Harry use the Map in the first place and for not stopping him from coming to the village.

'Hermione, calm down,' I told her, 'I made Harry swear not to use that Map after this.'

'And d'you really think he won't,' said Hermione.

The honest answer? No, I knew Harry wouldn't be able to resist using that Map. Instead I simply shrugged and said, 'We can hope he doesn't.'

Ron and Hermione paid for their sweets and the four of us left Honeydukes. Outside a blizzard appeared to be happening in the street. Snow was falling in thick waves making it almost impossible to see anything in front of you. It did, however, make Hogsmeade village look like something you'd find on a Christmas card. All the shops and cottages were clearly very old as they all were made of large stone bricks and had large pointed thatched roofs and frosted glass in their windows. Wreaths of holly adorned the doors and there were strings of enchanted candles criss-crossing over the street above us as decoration for the season. Tall iron street lamps had long icicles dangling from its corners that were barely affected by the heat coming from the tiny flames inside them. Everyone that was out and about in the village were all wrapped up in their winter cloaks and scarves, their heads bowed against the wind blowing the snow around them, as they walked up and down the street. It made me shiver, wishing I'd had my coat with me instead of just my hoodie for warmth. As we walked up the street, Ron and Hermione pointed out various places to me and Harry.

'That's the Post Office –'

'Zonko's is up there –'

'We could go up to the Shrieking Shack –'

'Tell you what,' said Ron, his teeth chattering from the cold, 'shall we go for a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?'

'If it's warm in there, I'm up for it,' I said, my voice shaking as I shivered.

'Definitely,' agreed Harry.

We turned left off the street towards an old-looking pub with thick black wooden beams visible in its façade. Ron pushed open the door and we stepped inside. Instantly I was hit by a very pleasant warmth that was coming from the large fire burning on the far side of the pub's barroom. It was packed full of people sat around tables lining the length and width of the room. The pub itself was very rustic; more black wooden beams lined the ceiling as well as acting as pillars; the fireplace was twice the size of any I'd seen at Hogwarts and was built from large flagstones lined with more wood for its mantelpiece, and a iron grate held a roaring fire that was heating the entire room by the looks of it; and the bar at the back was packed with old-looking bottles of ales and beers, large tankards gathered in lines along the back shelves. All was decorated with festive garlands for the Christmas season and there were a couple of Christmas trees glinting in various locations around the room. At the bar a middle-aged woman with thick blonde curly hair was laughing as she served a couple of wizards large foaming tankards of what I assumed was an ale of sorts. I didn't really know much about what wizards drank in pubs.

'That's Madam Rosmerta,' said Ron. I glanced at him to see a slightly red tinge in his cheeks. 'I'll get the drinks, shall I?'

Ron disappeared into the crowd gathered around the bar. Harry, Hermione and I made our way in the opposite direction to the back of the room where a small table remained vacant near the window and a Christmas tree by the fire. I sat down on the wooden bench between Harry and Hermione, glad to feel the heat of the fire on my skin. Ron returned a few minutes later with four foaming glasses of a golden amber liquid I recognised to be Butterbeer, although I had never had it before.

'Happy Christmas!' he said happily, raising his tankard.

I took a sip of my drink and was instantly hit by the strong sweetness of it. It tasted almost like a very mild version of butterscotch. It certainly warmed you up though. I ran my tongue over my lip to lick away the foam, enjoying the taste. A part of me suspected that the drink might be slightly alcoholic. I took another sip of it when I heard the door of the pub open and felt a breeze ruffled my fringe. I looked round and suddenly breathed in at the wrong moment and swallowed some of my drink from the shock of what I saw. Professor McGonagall had just entered the pub accompanied by Professor Flitwick and Hagrid as well as none other than the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. And Harry and I were sat here in the Three Broomsticks when we didn't even have permission to be in the village. Next moment I felt Hermione's hand grab my shoulder and Harry and I were forced under the table before the teachers or Minister could see us. I dropped my tankard, the contents spilling on the floor beside me, while Harry spilt his own on his trousers. I shifted enough so I was in a slightly less uncomfortable and wet position and crouched beside Harry as we watched the feet of the teachers pass by our table.

'Why is the Minister for Magic with McGonagall?' I whispered to Harry.

'I don't know,' he replied, 'but whatever reason, it can't be good.'

' _Mobiliarbus!_ ' I heard Hermione say the spell and the Christmas tree next to our table lifted a few inches off the ground and floated towards us. It landed with a soft thump blocking Harry and I from view. Carefully I pulled back a few of the lower branches and peered through them. I could just see McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and Fudge sitting down at the table across from ours. Seconds later a pair of glittery heels walked by as Madam Rosmerta approached their table to serve them their drinks.

'A small Gillywater –'

'Mine,' replied Professor McGonagall's voice.

'Four pints of mulled mead –'

'Ta, Rosmerta,' said Hagrid.

'A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella –'

'Mmm!' squeaked Professor Flitwick.

'So you'll be the redcurrant rum, Minister,' finished Madam Rosmerta, handing him a ruby red drink.

'Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear,' said Fudge. 'Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us …'

'Well, thank you very much, Minister.'

The glittery heels of Madam Rosmerta walked away then returned a few minutes later. I swallowed, suddenly aware of how fast my heart seemed to be beating in my chest. I didn't like the fact that Fudge was here as that could only mean one thing. Something had happened to do with Black and he was here to investigate. This was the last thing I needed right now and so I wished deeply that he would just be here for the Christmas atmosphere.

'So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?' asked Madam Rosmerta. I watched as Fudge's body seemed to twist in his seat as he checked to see if anyone was listening in.

'What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black?' Fudge replied in a low voice. 'I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Hallowe'en?'

'I did hear a rumour,' admitted Madam Rosmerta.

'Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?' said Professor McGonagall, exasperated.

'Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?' whispered Madam Rosmerta.

'I'm sure of it,' said Fudge firmly.

My eyes narrowed. Was it possible? Was Black really so foolhardy to stay within the boundaries of the school after almost being caught on Hallowe'en?

'You know that the Dementors have searched my pub twice?' said Madam Rosmerta tartly. 'Scared all of my customers away … it's very bad for business, Minister.'

'Rosmerta, m'dear, I don't like them any more than you do,' reasoned Fudge. 'Necessary precaution … unfortunate, but there you are … I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore – he won't let them inside the castle grounds.'

'I should think not,' said Professor McGonagall sharply. 'How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?'

'Hear, hear!' squeaked Professor Flitwick's voice.

'All the same,' said Fudge, 'they are here to protect you all from something much worse … we all know what Black's capable of …'

'Do you know, I still have trouble believing it,' said Madam Rosmerta. 'Of all the people to go over to the Dark side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought … I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd have too much mead.'

'You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta,' grunted Fudge. 'The worst isn't widely known?'

 _The worst?_ I thought. I could feel my nerves creeping in from the direction this conversation was going. I glanced at Harry out of the corner of my eye. He was listening as intently as I was.

'The worst?' repeated Madam Rosmerta. 'Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?'

'I certainly do,' confirmed Fudge.

'I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?'

'You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta,' said Professor McGonagall quietly. 'Do you remember who his best friend was?'

'Naturally,' said Madam Rosmerta with a laugh. 'Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here – ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!'

I couldn't stop the gasp that came from my lips when she said Harry's father's name. Beside me I heard Harry drop his tankard followed by a dull thud. Ron had kicked him. I then felt something dig into my back too as Hermione kicked me as well to silence me.

'Precisely,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course – exceptionally bright, in fact – but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers –'

'I dunno,' chuckled Hagrid. 'Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money.'

'You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!' added Professor Flitwick. 'Inseperable! And it seems to run in the family!'

 _No_ , I thought. _Please don't go there. Please don't reveal it._

If there was one thing I dreaded most about this conversation, it was the thought of Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, or even Hagrid, revealing that I was Sirius Black's daughter. At the moment the suggestion of it running in the family could mean anything; Harry and Ron were such close friends they could think it meant about how they acted like brothers instead of implying there being another Potter and Black duo. The likelihood of that, however, was very slim. Not even the thought of Harry finding out the truth of Black's connection to his parents' murders compared to the dread I felt at Harry finding out I was related to Black, let alone his daughter.

'Of course they were,' said Fudge. 'Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him.'

'Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?' whispered Madam Rosmerta.

'Worse even than that, m'dear …' said Fudge, dropping his voice even more so it was barely above a whisper. 'Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm.'

'How does that work?' asked Madam Rosmerta.

'An immensely complex spell,' said Professor Flitwick, 'involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find – unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!'

'So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?' whispered Madam Rosmerta, saying what I was already knew.

'Naturally,' confirmed Professor McGonagall. 'James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself to protect his daughter … and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself.'

I swallowed. Professor McGonagall had said it. She'd said that Black had a daughter. But again I had that vague hope that the connection between Black and I would not be made and Harry, Ron and Hermione would simply assume that she was some other girl that had died years ago and not that she was sitting right beside them under the table.

'He suspected Black?' gasped Madam Rosmerta.

'He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements,' said Professor McGonagall darkly. 'Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who.'

'But James Potter insisted on using Black?'

'He did,' said Fudge, his voice heavy. 'And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed –'

'Black betrayed them?' breathed Madam Rosmerta.

'He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His Master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colours as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it –'

By now my heart was thumping so hard in my chest and I was swallowing hard to keep my breathing steady. Although I already knew all of this it was still so hard to hear again and a part of me inside was repeating to myself, _It's not true … He didn't do it …_

'Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!' shouted Hagrid suddenly over Fudge. I jumped, surprised by his shout. Half the bar fell silent, stunned by his sudden outburst.

'Shh!' hissed Professor McGonagall.

'I met him!' growled Hagrid. 'I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they were killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead … an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter tide. Never occurred to me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!' roared Hagrid.

I frowned, despite almost feeling sick now from listening to this. Black had been white and shaking when Hagrid had seen him that night? That doesn't sound like the sort of reaction someone would have if they had committed a betrayal. In fact, it would be hard to imitate that kind of behaviour if someone was guilty of murder. Unless … it was guilt for something else Black felt? I felt a sudden rush of emotion wash over me as I realised something. Maybe – just maybe – was it possible that Black was actually innocent?

'Hagrid, please!' admonished Professor McGonagall. 'Keep your voice down!'

'How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James?' said Hagrid. 'It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, "Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him with me daughter –" Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. "I won' need it any more," he says.

'I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it any more? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potter's Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.

' _But what if I'd given Harry to him, eh_?' asked Hagrid emphatically. 'I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea, just like he musta done ter his daughter. Dumped her the same night Lily and James were killed! She wasn' with him when he tried ter get Harry from me. His bes' friend's son and his own kid! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to 'em any more, not even their own blood …'

I couldn't help but feel tears start to sting at my eyes as Hagrid said that. I blinked hard to get rid of them, shaking my head and still thinking, _It's not true!_

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. It certainly was a lot to process, a lot more than Lupin had originally told me. But now I was more certain than ever that there was a chance that Black was innocent. How he was, though, I didn't know.

Madam Rosmerta broke the silence, asking with a satisfied tone, 'But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!'

'Alas, if only we had,' said Fudge. I looked up. I knew what they were talking about. How Lupin's other friend Peter Pettigrew had caught Black. I leaned in a tiny bit closer to peer through the branches of the Christmas tree so I didn't miss a word of what was said. Maybe it was Peter's role that was the missing link. 'It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew – another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself.'

'Pettigrew … that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?' asked Madam Rosmerta.

'Hero-worshipped Black and Potter,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I – how I regret that now …' she sniffed.

 _Hero-worshipped?_ I thought. That didn't sound like the kind of friendship to have. A bit odd, considering they were all best friends according to Lupin.

'There, now, Minerva,' comforted Fudge, 'Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eye-witnesses – Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later – told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you!" And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens …'

'Stupid boy …' sniffed Professor McGonagall, followed by the sound of her blowing her nose, 'foolish boy … he was always hopeless at duelling … should have left it to the Ministry …'

'I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands – I'd've ripped him limb – from – limb,' Hagrid growled.

'You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid,' said Fudge sharply. 'Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I – I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked a sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him … a heap of blood-stained robes and a few – a few fragments –'

'Robes?' I breathed. 'No …' Lupin had told me Black had used a Blasting Curse to destroy Pettigrew. But if that had been the case then absolutely nothing of Pettigrew would have been left, not even any bloodstained robes. Blasting Curses reduced anything they hit to piles of ashes. But Pettigrew had left behind a finger as well as his robes. What if –?

'Do you know who else I feel sorry for?' Professor McGonagall was saying, regaining my attention. 'Jenna, one of Harry's friends at Hogwarts. I'm surprised no one's caught on yet. The similarities between her and her father are beyond belief. A Gryffindor just like he was, and the pair of them get into more trouble than any other student just like their fathers. Real luck favoured her when she was found by those Muggles and they got her to that orphanage. It saved her the pain of knowing her father's past. Remus has done a remarkable job of keeping it from her. But she'll find out eventually, and I pity her the day she learns the truth.'

I froze, my worst fears now out in the open. There was no way the others wouldn't have heard that. The revelation that I was the missing daughter of Sirius Black.

'Well, there you have it, Rosmerta,' finished Fudge. 'Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since.'

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.

'Is it true he's mad, Minister?'

'I wish I could say that he was,' said Fudge slowly. I shook myself, suddenly drawn back to the conversation. They were talking about Black's time in Azkaban. 'I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man – cruel … pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark, there's no sense in them … but I was shocked at how _normal_ Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored – asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him – and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door, day and night.'

'But what do you think he's broken out to do?' said Madam Rosmerta. 'He certainly wouldn't be after the child he abandoned so what else is there? Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?'

'I daresay that is his – er – eventual plan,' said Fudge hesitantly. 'But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing … but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again …'

There was the sound of glass hitting against wood as someone put down their drinks.

'You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the Headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle,' said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, I watched as the five pairs of feet stood up and walked away from their table. I let go of the branch of the Christmas tree and sat back. I couldn't explain how I was feeling at that moment. It was like a small fire had been lit in my head by the thought of Black's possible innocence, burning there in my brain, waiting to be fed the information I needed to prove it. It was then I remembered I was not alone, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were all sitting there as well. I looked round to see Harry staring at me. I couldn't describe the way he looked at me, a look of both disbelief and disgust. When Ron and Hermione's head appeared beneath the table, they too shared the look as well as clear concern for Harry over what we'd just heard.

'Harry?' said Hermione cautiously.

Harry didn't react. He just kept staring at me. Eventually he spoke.

'You're Black's daughter …'

My heart plummeted. I opened my mouth to say something but Harry got out from under the table and proceeded to walk out of the pub. The table shifted as Ron and Hermione pushed it aside so they could chase after him. Quickly I got up to follow. I pulled myself out from under the table and slid silently through the still crowded pub and out of the door. I looked frantically around the crowded street for any sign of which way Harry had gone. In the distance I could just see Ron's red hair visible in the falling snow. I pulled up my hood so that I wouldn't get noticed – I still wasn't meant to be in the village after all – and hurried after them. I followed the three of them as they walked down the street then diverted off a side alley that took us away from the village and into the forest. Once free from the crowd I ran after the others, following their footprints in the snow. I made my way through the trees and up a small hill on the outskirts of the village. At the top I saw I had followed them to a clearing and in the distance I could just see a small wooden house on its own little hill, a rackety wooden fence separating it from the forest. It was the Shrieking Shack. I looked around. At the foot of the hill I was standing on down in the clearing I saw Harry standing with his back to me. Hermione was beside him as she tried to comfort him, Ron standing a few feet back. Slowly I approached them, hesitant about what could happen.

'He was their friend,' I heard Harry say, his voice choked, 'and he betrayed them … HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!'

'Harry,' said Hermione gently. 'You weren't to know. No one knew what Black had done.'

Harry blinked. It looked like he was fighting back tears, not of sadness but of anger. When he looked up at Hermione, he seemed to pause. And I realised it was because he'd seen me.

'Jenna.'

Ron and Hermione span round to see me standing there silently in the clearing with them. Harry walked away from Hermione. He strode right up to me. I swallowed, scared at the thought of what he might do. His face was set with anger as he stood over me, though we were barely an inch or two different in height, glaring down at me for something I wasn't responsible for.

'Why didn't you tell me?' he demanded. 'Why didn't you tell me you were his daughter? I thought you were my friend.'

'I am your friend,' I said. 'Harry, I didn't tell you because I only found out a few months ago myself. Lupin had never told me. Please you have to believe me, I didn't know.'

Harry's glare remained. He looked away from me, as if he was thinking through what to do.

'You always said you didn't know who your father was,' said Harry angrily. 'But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have told me when you found out. Especially when he's responsible for my parents' deaths.'

Before I could stop myself, I said, 'No.' the word slipping from my mouth. Harry stared at me.

'What? You – you think he's innocent?' asked Harry.

Hesitantly, I nodded.

Anger seemed to rush through Harry like I had never seen before. His green eyes darkened in a way I hadn't seen before and he turned away from me.

'Harry, please –!' I said quickly. I made the mistake of grabbing his arm. Harry span back round to face me.

'He murdered my parents!' Harry shouted, pushing my hand off his arm. 'And you think he's innocent! You're supposed to be my friend and you're choosing a convicted murderer you've never even met to believe over all the facts!'

'Harry –!' I argued.

'Just – get out of here, Jenna!' shouted Harry. 'Before I do something I might regret!'

Harry's words stung. I looked at Ron and Hermione desperately for them to say something, to reason with Harry enough so that I could explain what I knew, but neither seemed prepared to do so. Ron looked just as angry with me as Harry, while Hermione seemed at a loss of what to do. I looked back at Harry, my eyes stinging as I fought back the urge to cry. I blinked, a tear falling down my cheek, and turned away. I ran back up the hill and back the way I'd come towards the village, struggling to stop myself from crying at what had now happened. When I reached the village I hid behind the wooden gate that surrounded it. I had to get back to the castle but there was no way I could sneak back into Honeydukes cellar without Harry's help and his Invisibility Cloak now that the village was emptying of people.

I swallowed and attempted to calm myself and clear my thoughts. I managed to do so just enough so I could transform. From behind the gate I stepped into the village in the form of my grey wolf. Disguised, I ran quickly through the village behind the houses to get back to the path that would take me to Hogwarts. I streaked through the village and over the bridge that led to Hogsmeade Station, and onwards up the footpath I knew to lead to the castle at the top of the hill. Soon enough the large wrought iron gates of the school came into view as did the two large Dementors guarding them. I skidded to a stop, scared that they would attack me like they did every time I'd encountered them.

The Dementors saw me and swooped down from where they floated about the stone winged boars that flanked the gates. I felt the chill they made rush through me from their presence. They began to circle me where I cowered in the snow but for some reason, they didn't attack. They seemed to examine me, their heads twisting from side to side as they looked at me, but they didn't attempt to stop me. It was almost as if they didn't recognise me or what they were sensing from me, nor did I feel that familiar draining feeling whenever they were near me. Seeing that they were confused by me, I crept cautiously between them and through the gates into the school. I then ran the rest of the way back up the hill towards the Stone Circle and Wooden Bridge. I only stopped once I was safely hidden behind one of the large stones and I transformed back. I leant my head back against the stone pillar and finally I let the tears fall.

Harry knew Black was my dad. He probably thought I'd even lied to him about knowing because I never told him when I found out. But he had never directly asked me about who my father was. How could I have lied? You can't lie about something you've never mentioned and I've never lied to him for as long as I've known him. And what was worse, I'd revealed that I believed there was a chance he was innocent. There was no way Harry was ever going to listen to me long enough so that I could explain the reason why that was, not now. I sighed, defeated. Harry knew Black was my dad … What was I going to do now?

I didn't see Harry, Ron or Hermione for the rest of the evening until dinner. I had hidden myself away in the Owlery, seeking comfort in Gizmo as I tried to come up with a way of explaining to Harry all that I knew about Black, about Pettigrew, and about what had happened that night, but coming up with nothing good enough. I only emerged when I heard the Clock Tower Bell ring out signalling dinner. I reached the Great Hall to find it was already full of students all happily chatting away to each other. I walked towards the Gryffindor table, my eyes scanning its length for Harry, Ron and Hermione. I saw them about halfway down but they weren't talking to each other. In fact, Ron and Hermione looked like they were being very cautious around Harry. I made to approach them but then hesitated when they saw me, so instead I took the free seat nearest me. Clearly now was not a good time to try and talk to Harry.

I didn't each much. I had no appetite. I pushed my food around on its plate until it vanished and was replaced by dessert. Every so often I would glance down at the others but I didn't have the nerve to do anything. Shortly after dessert was served the three of them got up and left the Hall. As they passed I caught Hermione's eye. She didn't say anything but shook her head enough for me to see before catching up with the boys. I turned away and looked down at my soggy dessert, disheartened. This was going to be a long Christmas.

I'd originally thought Christmas this year was going to be great. I had my three best friends and my Uncle all under one roof allowing me to spend time with both of them during the Christmas holidays. I turned out to be very wrong. The following morning I'd awoken early and had remained awake in bed until it was time for breakfast. The dormitory was empty as Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne had all gone home for the holidays. Only Hermione was still here. When I had returned from cleaning my teeth in the bathroom I saw Hermione was up and dressed as well. We stood in an awkward silence for a minute or two before I braved to say something.

'How's Harry?' I asked nervously.

'Hurt,' replied Hermione. 'Jenna, why didn't you tell him Sirius Black is your father?'

'I couldn't, Hermione,' I said. 'Imagine how you'd feel if you found out your father was supposedly responsible for your friend's parents being murdered.'

'So you preferred him to find out the way he did?' Hermione countered.

'No, I just – I needed to get the whole story before I told him,' I said. 'I needed to know for myself that he was guilty before I did anything.'

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms, 'I guess that's understandable, given what happened to you,' she reasoned. 'You'd want to know about what happened before you decided what to do about it. But do you honestly believe he's innocent?'

'I don't know,' I said truthfully. 'My Mum wrote a lot about him when they were at school together and just – something about the whole thing doesn't add up. The man she wrote about doesn't sound anything like the man people believe him to be. And –' I stopped. I couldn't tell Hermione about my memories, those strange flashes I had got when I touched certain things, like when I first held the knife Black had attacked me with. 'I just need to know for sure Black is who people think he is. I don't want to risk losing my father again.'

'Jenna,' sighed Hermione. She walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. 'From what people have said, it sounds like you never had a father in the first place. Hagrid said he abandoned you. You said yourself you were found alone in a park by a couple of Muggles and you have no memories of him.'

'I know,' I said, 'but if there was a chance – even if it was the smallest of chances – that he was innocent and I could get my father back …' I looked at Hermione desperately, hoping she'd understand, 'Hermione, I have to risk it.'

'I know,' said Hermione softly. She gave my shoulder a squeeze. 'You know Harry's not going to be so understanding.' I nodded. 'Just be careful,' said Hermione. 'Don't let yourself get hurt.'

'I won't,' I replied. 'Trust me, Lupin won't let Black anywhere near me.'

'He knows you're alive?'

'I think so. Black came to my home over the summer. I overheard them arguing in the garden. Lupin threatened to summon the Aurors to capture him if he didn't leave.'

'Why didn't he?'

'Because he didn't want me to know.'

Hermione frowned again.

'I hope you know what you're doing, Jenna.'

'So do I.' I was risking Harry's friendship on a mere hunch. I didn't want to lose that either.

After breakfast I returned to the girls' dormitories and remained there for the rest of the day again going over everything I knew about Black, looking for anything that could possibly point in the direction of his innocence. Something was missing. Something just didn't quite make sense yet to explain all the conflicting information. Frustrated, I got up off my bed and headed out of my dormitory to go down to the Great Hall for lunch. I walked down the staircase but stopped before I reached the common room. I could hear voices in there. But I knew virtually no one else was staying for the holidays so it could only be one group of people: Harry, Ron and Hermione. I crept down the last couple of stairs and remained out of sight as I listened to what they were talking about. Unsurprisingly it was about Black.

'Harry, listen,' Hermione was saying, 'you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid.'

'Like what?' came Harry's indignant response.

'Like trying to go after Black,' said Ron.

'You won't, will you, Harry?' said Hermione.

There was a pause. Then Harry replied.

'D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?' he asked them. 'I can hear my Mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your Mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her –'

'There's nothing you can do!' said Hermione earnestly. 'The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and – and serve him right!'

I held in a sigh. For all the compassion Hermione showed me this morning, it appeared even she didn't believe in the possibility that Black could be innocent. I knew Ron had already made up his mind having grown up in the wizarding world whereas the likelihood of Harry being swayed was slim to none. My one support clearly didn't seem to be so supportive anymore.

'You heard what Fudge said,' snapped Harry. 'Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others.'

'So what are you saying?' said Ron. 'You want to – to kill Black or something?'

'Don't be silly,' said Hermione sharply though I could hear the concern in her voice. 'Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?'

Again Harry didn't respond straight away.

'Malfoy knows,' he said next. 'Remember what he said to me in Potions? "If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself … I'd want revenge".'

'You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?' said Ron angrily. 'Listen … you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me – the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous –'

'Malfoy's dad must have told him,' Harry continued, clearly not listening to Ron. 'He was right in Voldemort's inner circle –'

' _Say You-Know-Who, will you?_ '

'– so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort –'

'– and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip, Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch.'

'Harry, _please_ ,' implored Hermione, ' _please_ be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants … oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!'

'I'll never know what they'd have wanted,' said Harry bluntly, 'because, thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them.'

I sighed. As much as I knew I should, I couldn't keep my silence any longer.

'They'd want you to find out the truth.'

I stepped out from behind the corner of the staircase into the common room. Harry span round in his seat when he heard me enter, Ron and Hermione also looking up at me. I merely stood there staring back hopelessly at them, disheartened by all their words. If I had a white flag then I would be waving it to tell them I meant no harm.

'Been eavesdropping, have you?' Harry asked, his tone very accusative.

'I couldn't help it when you're the only people in the common room,' I replied.

'Well it's none of your business what we're talking about.'

Harry turned back round in his seat to the others.

'You're not the only one Black hurt, you know,' I said, regaining Harry's attention. He looked back at me. 'What about me? And Lupin? He lost his sister. I lost my Mum and my childhood. I told you what it was like in that orphanage, Harry, you know what I went through after I was abandoned by him.'

Harry got up. He walked across the common room to where I was stood at the foot of the stairs. I stood my ground though inside I could feel my nerves building. Harry glared down at me.

'So you lost out on your childhood, big deal,' spat Harry. 'Black wasn't the reason you lost your parents.'

'I lost my parents too, Harry,' I said firmly. 'My Mum died before I even got to know her. At least you had a year with your parents.'

'That doesn't mean I remember them!' snapped Harry. 'Thanks to your father, my parents died and he was meant to be their friend. Just like you were meant to be mine and you didn't even tell me you were related to him!'

'Because I knew you'd react like this. I didn't lie to you –'

'You as good as lied,' said Harry. 'What else have you lied about?'

'Nothing,' I said desperately.

'You know, I bet it wasn't even just my parents Black betrayed. How did your Mum die again, Jenna? You never did say. Perhaps she knew he was the traitor and he killed her to stop her from telling Dumbledore. And what was it you said yesterday? Oh yeah, that you thought he was innocent!'

'Black didn't kill my Mum, he was the one who found her!' I said. 'And if he was your dad's best friend, he wouldn't have betrayed them either, I know it. He's not the man everyone thinks he is. And if I'm anything like Black like McGonagall said I was –'

'Then it would be a matter of time before you stabbed me in the back too.'

'– he wouldn't have done anything to hurt his best friend,' I finished, 'just like I wouldn't. Harry, you know me better than anyone. Would I really do that?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. 'Like you said, McGonagall said you were like Black. Who's to say what you might do.'

'Harry, that's not fair!'

'I can't believe I'm saying this but Malfoy was right about you,' Harry then said. 'You are a liar, Jenna. You lied about who you are. You're just saying all this.'

'No, I'm not –'

'Why did Lupin even bother to find you? If you're anything like Black, you'd just hurt him too like you've hurt me. I trusted you. You don't deserve my friendship, not after what he did.' Harry turned away. 'Just leave me alone.'

I stood there, shocked. I looked at Hermione for any kind of help but she kept her eyes firmly averted from me. I sighed. I walked past where they were sat in our favourite chairs in the corner and out of portrait hole. Harry just wasn't going to listen to me. I knew that now. And there was no point in going to Lupin about this. I knew he wouldn't listen either because of his dislike of Black because of what he did to my Mum. I was going to have to do this alone. I just hoped that I wasn't chasing a false hope. I hope I was right and that Black really was innocent.

After that confrontation, I kept well out of Harry's way for the rest of the holidays. It wasn't too difficult to do it, it turned out, as Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed to spend most of the holiday in the Library for some reason. When I asked Hermione why, as she was still talking to me when we were alone together in our dormitory, she told me about how Buckbeak was being put on trial for this attack on Malfoy and me, courtesy of Malfoy's father. I offered to help but Hermione said it was best that I didn't as it was keeping Harry's mind off Black. I knew she was right.

Instead I spent a lot of my time in the Great Hall or in the castle grounds at the back of the castle near to Whomping Willow. There weren't that many students staying over the holidays so I found it quite relieving to be on my own without anyone pointing and staring at me, whispering to each other that I was Black's daughter, even though almost no one else actually knew that I was. There was one person, however, who had also stayed for the beginning of the holidays, who had noted my frequent solitary appearances in the Great Hall and the distinct lack of Harry, Ron or Hermione with me. Daphne Greengrass.

A Slytherin in my year, Daphne was almost like the polar opposite to me in appearance. While my hair was dark black hers was almost white blonde but not to the same extent as Malfoy's, but we shared the same straight hairstyle though mine was probably twice the length of hers. While I was skinny and slight, Daphne showed all the signs of a well-fed and doted upon child, no doubt from her status of being from a pure-blood family – another of the Sacred Twenty-Eight no less. While my eyes were pale blue her own were a deep chocolate-like brown. I had never really spoken to Daphne before, regardless or not of her being a Slytherin, and I knew her to be part of Pansy Parkinson's female gang. I assumed her to be as stuck up as the rest of them and so had never attempted to befriend her. It turned out, however, I was quite wrong when she approached me on Tuesday afternoon.

'Jenna, right?'

I had been sitting in the Great Hall reading my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ when someone had spoken to me. I looked up to see Daphne standing on the opposite side of the table to where I sat. I glanced round to see if there was anyone else near us, surprised that it was in fact me she was addressing.

'Can I help?' I asked, confused.

'Actually, I was wondering if maybe I could help you,' said Daphne. 'I've been seeing you by yourself a lot since the holidays started. A bit unusual when normally Potter, Weasley and Granger are always with you and they've stayed for Christmas as well.'

'Harry, Ron and Hermione,' I corrected her. Daphne shrugged.

'Either way, I was just wondering if you were OK,' she finished. I stared at her, confused even more by her apparent concern.

'Why?' I asked. 'How is my wellbeing any concern of yours?'

'Believe it or not, not all us Slytherins share the same views,' said Daphne, clearly nettled by my accusative tone. 'I was there on the train that day Malfoy threatened you, remember? Threatened to reveal to Potter that you were that escaped convict's daughter.'

'Well you can tell Malfoy he doesn't need to bother,' I said dismissively. 'Harry found out on his own.'

I returned to my book, expecting Daphne to walk away now the conversation was over. To my surprise, she didn't.

'I'm sorry – Harry – found out,' said Daphne next. 'He didn't take it well, I guess?'

I stared at Daphne, genuinely stunned by her attitude being completely not what I'd expect from a Slytherin. I felt my defensiveness about the situation start to fade away and my tone softened as the disappointment in my friends' reactions came back.

'No,' I muttered, 'he didn't. It's almost like he blames me for being Black's daughter.'

'You can't help who you're related to,' said Daphne gently. She took the seat across from me, placing her jacket on the bench beside her. 'Did you even know you were?'

'Yeah, but only since the summer,' I told her. 'I only found out about what he did when I saw it in the _Daily Prophet_.'

Daphne thought for a moment, then said, 'I don't know if this will be much comfort to you, but my Mum knew Black when he was at Hogwarts.'

'She did?' I asked. Interest suddenly swept over me and I closed my book. 'How?'

'She was friends with his cousin, Andromeda,' explained Daphne. 'They were in Slytherin together a few years above him. Andromeda always spoke quite highly of him according to Mum. She was very surprised to hear he'd committed all those murders back when You-Know-Who vanished.'

'Did your mum know much about him? I asked. I could hear the eager tone that had crept into my voice as I spoke. 'Did she ever meet him?'

'A couple of times,' said Daphne. 'The Blacks were well known for hosting dinner parties for those pure-blood families who supported You-Know-Who and the same ideals as them. It was a way for them to marry off their children. Mum told me that your dad always seemed very distant with his parents, almost as if he despised them and what they believed in. Even Andromeda had said to her once that he would get into trouble on purpose just to annoy them by doing anything he could that was against their views on the importance of maintaining their bloodline. From what Mum said Andromeda had told her about Black, it must have been something quite serious to happen to make him suddenly accept their views to do what he did.'

I stared at Daphne. All she was saying was just more evidence that Black didn't seem like the man people all believed him to be. And this new account of what he was like, from another person who knew him even if not directly or very well, it was almost comforting.

'I know that's probably no comfort to you,' said Daphne next, almost as if she'd read my thoughts. 'But at least you know he wasn't always like this.'

Actually, it was the complete opposite, but I didn't say that.

'I didn't know him at all,' I shrugged. 'Knowing what he was like, it doesn't change how I see him now. He abandoned me as a kid so. He's no father of mine.'

Daphne gave me what I assumed was a sympathetic smile. She then got up.

'If you want to hang out some time,' she said, 'I'm usually in the Transfiguration Courtyard when I need to get away from Pansy and the others. My Dad's picking me and my little sister up today though so I won't be around for the rest of the holidays. He was away on business so we had to stay here a couple days after school finished before going home.'

'OK, I'll bear that in mind. And thanks for telling me that stuff. Have a good Christmas.'

'You too.'

Daphne grabbed her coat then walked off back up the aisle and out of the Hall. I sat back in my seat and watched as she left. Maybe she was right. Maybe not all Slytherins were as bad as I originally thought.

Despite having a new ally in the form of Daphne, my sombre mood didn't lift when Christmas arrived. Even with all the decorations in the castle and the wonderful holiday food they were serving instead of our usual term-time meals, I just couldn't get in the Christmas spirit. So I found myself spending more and more time with Lupin hidden away in his office where I could escape the loneliness I felt not having Harry, Ron and Hermione to spend time with. It did mean that Lupin had a chance to get me started on learning the spell used to protect oneself from Dementors. I already knew of the spell but I had never used it before until now.

Lupin had already told me about the Patronus Charm and what it did. A powerful spell, the Patronus created a shield of positive energy that the Dementor could feed on instead of the person it was attacking. Its shape was different for every wizard who could create one, being a physical manifestation of his or her inner self in the form of an animal of some kind. For an example, Lupin told me how McGonagall's Animagus form of a tabby cat was probably the same form her Patronus would take if she ever conjured one. The Patronus could take on two forms: corporeal – or a fully formed one where its animal shape is clearly defined and detailed – or incorporeal – usually more like a thick mist that would shoot from your wand tip and fan out around you like a normal Shield Charm would, sometimes pulsing out in waves depending on its strength. The power behind the Patronus, however, was the hardest part according to Lupin.

'To power a Patronus, you need a memory,' Lupin explained to me in our first session. 'Not just any memory though. It has to be a happy memory. The happiest memory you have. A Dementor feeds off happiness, and so by using a happy memory as the power behind the spell it becomes a substitute for the Dementor to feed on instead of the person it's attacking and so you won't be drained of your own energy. If the memory is truly the happiest the person has felt, then the Patronus will take its corporeal form and be strong enough to force the Dementor away.'

That was all well and good, but it was impossible to create a corporeal Patrnous even with no Dementor near me when I felt so low about Harry. When Lupin had tried using a Boggart as a foe-Dementor with me, as he knew I was scared of them, my fear of Black proved to be stronger and so we had to abandoned that idea when a menacing Boggart version of Black kept emerging from Lupin's trunk. So despite having ideal conditions and nothing to weaken me, I still struggled to produce anything more than a silvery vapour. I just couldn't push Harry's reaction from my thoughts long enough for me to attempt a proper Patronus no matter how hard I tried. Lupin would sit to one side in his office (his illness was back once more) and watch as I struggled, his brow furrowed as he tried to work out what was wrong.

'Jenna,' he said, stopping me before I could say the spell again.

I had been at it since the holidays had started and it was now Christmas Day. I had spent it in Lupin's company rather than staying in the Tower. I had woken up that morning to presents from Lupin and Hermione but none from Harry and Ron and it had saddened me a lot. That and the usual row I overheard about Crookshanks going after Scabbers made me less inclined to stay there; ever since he'd first laid eyes on that rat, something about it had bothered Crookshanks and he seemed determined to get rid of him, even more so recently. I had remained in Lupin's office all day, making sure he ate the meal that was brought up for us from the kitchens by one of the school house elves as the full moon was due any day now.

I lowered my wand when Lupin held out his hand to stop me. I looked up cautiously through my fringe at him.

'Something's bothering you,' he said simply, 'I can tell. What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' I replied, perhaps a little bit too quickly. 'It's just a hard spell, that's all.'

'Jenna,' sighed Lupin. 'I have seen your grades in practicals. You rarely have that much difficulty with spells set for third-year students that are meant to challenge you. I would expect even you to be able to produce a thick-ish mist in these conditions with no Dementor attacking you.' I shied away, letting my hair hide my face. 'Now, what's wrong?'

'Nothing,' I repeated.

'You can tell I don't believe that,' said Lupin resignedly. 'Jenna, don't think I haven't noticed how much time you have been spending here instead of with Harry, Ron and Hermione when they have stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas too. You can tell me if something's happened. You don't have to keep things bottled up.'

I sighed and gave in.

'Harry knows Black's my dad,' I muttered.

'I told you, Harry is not going to blame you for something that isn't your fault. Why is this a bad thing?'

I hesitated, biting my lip. I knew what I was about to say was going to cause trouble.

'Because I believe he's innocent.'

I peered through my hair nervously up at Lupin. As I expected, a look of disbelief was visible on his face.

'You believe he's innocent?' repeated Lupin. 'Jenna, how can you think he's innocent after all that he did? All the lives he ended? All the evidence that pointed towards him?'

'Because something doesn't make sense,' I said. All of a sudden I felt a strength in me I didn't recognise and my voice didn't shake as I spoke. 'Something about what he was like at Hogwarts doesn't match the person people think he is now. A person doesn't just go bad for no reason, Lupin. There must be a reason why everyone thinks of him the way they do.'

Lupin knelt down in front of me. He placed his hands on my arms, his eyes looking straight into mine as he spoke.

'He abandoned you,' said Lupin slowly. 'Black left you for dead mere hours after he betrayed his best friends and handed them over to Voldemort, killed twelve people the very next day. The man your mum knew at school doesn't exist anymore for whatever reason it is, and that reason will probably never be known. You said yourself you saw a man with black hair in your memory, confirming it was him at your mum's death and that he was a Death Eater.'

Suddenly alarm bells started ringing in my mind. I gasped.

'No, he wasn't,' I said, piecing things together as quickly as I could. 'He wasn't at Mum's death or at least not until later. He found her. A man with black hair was there but it was Black. It didn't even look like him, his hair was too short. The other man though, I recognise him now. It's the man from that photo you showed me, the one of you with your school friends. Peter.'

'Peter?' Lupin stared at me, confused. 'What has Peter got to do with Tala's death?'

'He was there. He laughed at Mum as she tried to fight, laughed at the mention of the Marauders, your old gang.'

A frown appeared on Lupin's tired face. He stood up, shaking his head.

'No,' he said, dismissing what I'd said. 'No, Peter wouldn't do that. What reason would Peter have to hand Tala over to Voldemort?'

'The same reason he had to give over James and Lily,' I replied. I swallowed then just said it. 'Peter was the Death Eater, not Black.'

'Jenna, that's ludicrous –!'

'No, it's not!' I argued. 'Black was not a Death Eater. You said yourself that you were all suspicious that one of you was giving information to Voldemort. What if you were wrong? What if Black wasn't James's Secret-Keeper? What if he and Pettigrew had switched or something but didn't tell anyone? What if Pettigrew never died –?'

'Jenna, that is enough!' said Lupin sharply. I jumped. Lupin had never shouted at me before. 'Peter was killed by Black after he confronted him over James and Lily's deaths and I will not hear any more of this. You are too young to know or understand properly what happened.'

'But Lupin –!'

'Enough!' repeated Lupin. He turned away and placed his hands on his desk to lean on it. He ran one over his forehead that was now covered in sweat. Stress always made his illness worse. 'I suggest you return to the Tower.'

'But –!'

'No arguments,' said Lupin firmly. 'Go back to the Tower, Jenna.'

I must have touched a nerve with Lupin and so I did as I was told. I grabbed my hoodie and stowed my wand away in my trouser pocket then turned away for the door. I glanced back at Lupin. I had never seen him looked so troubled before and I felt guilty for making him feel like that. I knew how hard it was for him to confront the memories of his friends. I opened the door and left his office. I walked slowly back to the Gryffindor Tower, hating the silence that had earlier been a comfort to me. I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady but to my surprise, it was already open. I walked through the portrait hole but stopped before I entered the common room. I could hear Professor McGonagall's voice. Why was she here?

'It will need to be checked for jinxes,' she was saying. I frowned. What needed to be checked for jinxes? 'Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down –'

'Strip it down?' came Ron's shout.

'It shouldn't take more than a few weeks,' said Professor McGonagall dismissively. 'You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free.'

'There's nothing wrong with it!' said Harry's voice. 'Honestly, Professor –'

'You can't know that, Potter,' said Professor McGonagall, 'not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed.'

I stepped back out the way as Professor McGonagall appeared from the common room. In her hand I saw she was carrying what looked like a brand new broomstick; on the tip of its handle I just caught a glimpse of golden lettering reading "Firebolt" and an eight-digit number beneath it. She gave me a curt "Miss Black" as she passed me then walked out of the Tower, the portrait of the Fat Lady closing behind her. I looked back towards the common room. I didn't move, waiting to hear what on earth all that was about.

' _What did you go running to McGonagall for?_ ' shouted Ron.

'Because I thought –' stuttered Hermione, '– and Professor McGonagall agrees with me – that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!'

I bit back a groan of desperation when I heard Hermione's accusation. The last thing I needed was to walk into the middle of this argument and get accused of more things that I had nothing to do with. I leant back against the wall and blocked out the now shouting voices of Ron and Hermione. I closed my eyes and emptied my thoughts until only one was left. The image of a cat. I felt my body change and I fell to the ground on my new front paws. Once disguised, I walked quietly across the common room as if I was merely someone's pet returning to their owners' dormitory. The others glanced at my direction when they heard me pass by but otherwise paid no attention to me. I got on to the staircase leading up to my dormitory but didn't transform again until I was outside its door. Once back in human form I went inside and went straight to bed.

I was relieved once term finally started again and the school was once again filled with students. With more people about it made it a lot easier to hide from Harry and the others. Without them to sit with at mealtimes and during lessons, I found myself spending more time with Neville as he was often left on his own as Harry and Ron were always together with Hermione though it appeared Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other currently; Dean and Seamus always paired off for practicals; Sally-Anne was frequently seen with a Ravenclaw girl in our year whose name I think was Su; and Parvati and Lavender were almost unbearable for long amounts of time, especially in Divination lessons. A part of me thought Neville appreciated the company; he certainly seemed less nervous in lessons being sat next to someone, apart from Potions, of course.

Lessons didn't improve my mood though. The chaos of Charms now seemed remarkably dull even with us practicing the Freezing Charm and the class seeing how large they could make the icicle above Flitwick's stack of books; Potions was as bad as ever with Snape being overly critical as we made an Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, bemoaning had we forgotten everything over the Christmas period; Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons remained very boring although the entire class did appreciate the salamanders he had provided for us to look after, as they kept us warm while we outside in the winter air; Transfiguration had McGonagall re-testing us turning hedgehogs into pincushions; and in Defence Against the Dark Arts, I found it hard to pay attention when I saw how ill Lupin still looked a week after the full moon. And I wasn't the only one who had noticed.

'Still looks ill, doesn't he?' I had overheard Ron say to Harry as I walked behind them after class down to dinner. 'What d'you reckon's the matter with him?'

A loud impatient 'tuh' came from my left and I saw Hermione stride past the boys. They two hadn't been on speaking terms since the Firebolt incident.

'And what are you tutting at us for?' said Ron irritably.

'Nothing,' said Hermione in a distinctly lofty voice even for her.

'Yes, you were,' said Ron. 'I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you –'

'Well, isn't it _obvious_?' said Hermione impatiently.

'If you don't want to tell us, don't,' snapped Ron.

'Fine,' retorted Hermione and she marched off.

Harry and Ron brushed aside Hermione's haughty behaviour and headed down the Changing Staircase. I, however, was on red alert. I went after her before she could disappear up to the Gryffindor Tower to put away her over-filled bag. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the fourth floor corridor. I made sure we were out of earshot of any passing students before I answered her questions of why I was acting strangely.

'Hermione, what do you know?' I asked once I was sure the coast was clear.

'About what?' she questioned, her eyes narrowed. I sighed.

'About Lupin.'

Hermione's frown remained. She folded her arms over her chest and let out a slow breath.

'The fact your uncle's a werewolf.'

I stared at Hermione. Of all the people who could work out Lupin's symptoms, I wasn't surprised it had been her to do so. A silence grew between us, in which I could hear the footsteps and chatter of more students heading down to the Great Hall for dinner. Eventually I spoke.

'How did you find out?'

'From doing Snape's essay,' replied Hermione. 'The lunar charts, his symptoms and how his illness occurs every month without fail, his Boggart being a full moon and not a crystal ball like people thought it was. It all fits.'

'Hermione, please,' I said, 'please promise me you won't tell anyone.' Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously. I sighed. 'Lupin hasn't had a job in over three years,' I explained. 'No one will hire him because of his condition, and he won't apply for any jobs when there's a risk of putting people in danger. This job has been the best thing that's happened to him in a long time. If you tell anyone that he's a werewolf it'll ruin his career. Please, Hermione, I beg you, please don't tell anyone.'

'Werewolves are some of the most untrustworthy wizards in the wizarding world,' said Hermione. 'How can Dumbledore even begin to trust Lupin with teaching hundreds of students?'

'Because he's not like other werewolves,' I told her. 'Not in the slightest –'

'What about his relation to Black?' Hermione then asked. _Not this!_ I groaned internally. 'What about Harry? You had his trust and you betrayed it. So has Lupin. What's to say he won't betray Harry too?'

'Because I know Lupin,' I said earnestly, 'and he would never do anything to harm his best friend's son and he has despised Black for thirteen years since the day my Mum was killed. Harry can trust him even if he doesn't trust me. So please, Hermione, don't tell anyone.'

It seemed that all my secrets, the ones I'd tried so hard to keep and hide from my friends, were all coming out now. I was an outcast to my friends because they knew Black was my dad and because of my belief that he could be innocent of the crimes he was charged for, though without any new leads even I was beginning to doubt my sanity. And now Hermione knew about Lupin being a werewolf. One wrong word from her, a respected student for her honesty and behaviour in our year, and Lupin's time teaching here would be over in less than a heartbeat. That truly was the grim reality for me, the child of a dark wizard with a guardian whose condition made them one of the least trustworthy wizards in society. With everything looking so hopeless now I was running out of ideas of what to do and running out of time to find the last remaining piece of the puzzle and get the answer I sought.

* * *

 **AN: so this chapter developed very differently to how it was originally written and I definitely prefer the changes I have now made to it and I hope you do too. Let me know what you think and hopefully I'll have Azkaban finished off in the coming weeks.**


	18. Running Out of Time

Chapter 17

Running Out of Time

I was sceptical of whether or not Hermione would keep her word and not expose Lupin's secret and what he truly was. At least if she did, then I knew Snape would have achieved what he set out to do when he set us that essay on werewolves and his grudge against Lupin would end as he would get fired for sure. Regardless of this fact, I had to trust Hermione would keep her promise and that Lupin's secret would remain so. But now it meant not only were Harry and Ron not talking to me because of Black, Hermione wasn't talking to me either and so I had lost my one form of support in this whole messy situation.

As for Lupin himself, I hadn't gone to visit him after class since the incident at Christmas when I finally told him that I believed Black could possibly be innocent. Nor had I had anymore Patronus lessons even though I was aware he had started teaching Harry the Charm. I was trying to give him a good amount of time to forget our conversation before I braved to go back for more lessons. I finally braved it on Thursday evening of the first week back after the holidays.

I had overheard that Harry was having his first lesson with Lupin that night and so had snuck out of the common room in the form of a cat so as not to be noticed and followed Harry to where he was having his lesson. I followed him down to the History of Magic classroom where he went inside and shut the door behind him, leaving me alone in the corridor. I hid behind a nearby pillar and lay down to wait. A few minutes later Lupin showed up and went inside too. For the next hour I waited patiently outside the door, pacing every so often to pass the time. I could hear shouts come from inside as Harry attempted to cast the Charm followed by periods of silence where I assumed he'd passed out if Lupin was attempting to use a Boggart as a Dementor for him to fight against. Eventually I had to give up my animal form and I resorted to sitting on the floor with my back leant against the door as I waited for their lesson to finish. It was in their final minutes, however, I realised my attempt at approaching Lupin was far too soon.

'Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood,' I heard Lupin say. I took that to mean the lesson had ended and he was giving Harry some chocolate to restore his energy. I got up off the floor and stood to the side of the door that would mean I wouldn't be seen when it was opened. 'Same time next week?'

'OK,' came Harry's reply. There was a short silence and then, 'Professor Lupin?' Harry asked. 'Jenna's mum … she was your sister, right?'

'Indeed, she was,' Lupin confirmed.

'And you said you knew my Dad,' Harry continued. 'If you knew my Dad and Jenna's mum your sister, that means you must've known Sirius Black.'

Lupin didn't reply straight away.

'So you know Jenna's father is Sirius Black,' Lupin finally said. His voice was oddly calm and restrained. 'That explains why she has been spending so much time here. But what makes you think I knew Black himself?'

'Nothing –' said Harry quickly. 'I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too …'

'Yes, I knew him,' said Lupin shortly. 'Or I thought I did. You'd better get off, Harry, it's getting late.'

The sound of footsteps alerted me. Quickly I cleared my thoughts and transformed back into a cat. I scarpered behind the nearest pillar as the door to the History of Magic classroom opened and Harry walked out of it. He looked a little worse for wear and his hair was slicked with the remnants of sweat. The Charm must've been quite difficult for him too though it had sounded like he'd had more success than me. He walked quickly down the corridor and around the corner out of sight. Thinking there was little point in hanging around to see Lupin, I darted off in the opposite direction to return to the Gryffindor Tower.

Ravenclaw played Slytherin the following weekend and the match was indeed a close one, Slytherin pulling out a win in the last few moments in what was a close chase between Malfoy and the Ravenclaw Seeker, a girl Lee Jordan identified as Cho Chang. This gave Gryffindor new hope because if we beat Ravenclaw in our next match it meant that we would then be in second place overall. It did mean that I saw less of Harry in the common room as it appeared Wood had increased the team practices. But he still had no broom to my knowledge so what they were going to do when the match arrived, I didn't know nor would I find out. Seen even less than Harry was Hermione. Somehow, and I still didn't know how she was doing it, Hermione was barely seen outside of class and at meal times as she juggled her ever hectic schedule. The only times I did see her was when she was buried behind her mountain of books and homework in the corner of the common room. And she looked exhausted. I wanted to find out if she was OK, maybe suggest she drop a class or two even though I knew the thought of that would appal her, or at least get her to take a rest once in a while. But, of course, with her not talking to me either all I could do was watch.

The only thing I did know was that Hermione was no longer speaking to Harry or Ron at all. In fact, it was common knowledge that Ron and Hermione's friendship was over. It was late on Tuesday evening that it had happened. I had been in the common room working on my homework when from across the room I heard a very loud shout that drew the attention of anyone and everyone in the common room. I looked up in time to see Ron storm down the stairs from the boys' dormitories carrying his bedsheet for some reason. He strode over to where Hermione was sat in our old seats with Harry and thrust it in her face, much to her confusion.

'LOOK!' he bellowed, shaking the sheet in front of Hermione's face. 'LOOK!'

'Ron, what –?'

'SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!'

My eyes narrowed in a frown as I couldn't see what it was on the sheet Ron was showing her. I didn't need to though as Ron's next shout confirmed what it was.

'BLOOD!' yelled Ron. 'HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?'

'N-no,' stuttered a shaking Hermione.

I don't know what Ron threw at her but I could probably guess. It had to be something that implicated Crookshanks in Scabbers' disappearance. That could be the only thing that would enrage Ron this much. Whatever it was, Hermione made to say something but Ron stormed off before she could defend herself. The common room was left in a stunned silence once he'd gone. Everyone was staring in Hermione's direction but no one said anything. I watched as she shrunk into her seat before going back to hiding behind her books. She must have also told Harry to leave as moments later he too had left the common room to go upstairs. I watched him leave then looked back at Hermione. As much as I wanted to go and comfort her I decided it was not my place to do so and so I returned to my Transfiguration essay.

January soon faded away. Before I knew it, February was here and term was back in full swing. Unfortunately, however, the weather did not improve and it remained cold and grey. Despite the dreary weather I found myself spending more and more time outside the castle in the grounds wrapped up in my cloak and Gryffindor scarf, mostly under the shelter of a tree in the Transfiguration Courtyard with someone you'd least expect: Daphne. At first when I started showing up in the Courtyard we didn't really speak that much, only the occasional word as we either read in the peace together or practiced whatever spell or charm we'd just learnt in class. Soon though I found myself engaging in conversation with her, talking about whatever topic came to mind whether it was homework or something that had been in the _Prophet_ or even the abysmal weather. I was actually surprised at how much I seemed to have in common with Daphne. We certainly both had a passion for flying even though neither of us was on our respective House Quidditch teams.

'I just never felt like trying out,' Daphne shrugged when I asked her why she had never gone for it. 'Have you seen the Slytherin team? A bunch of meat-head, testosterone-fuelled teenagers who care more about seeing how many players they can injure than actually playing a half honest game.'

'I s'pose that's a fair point,' I mused. I pulled at a couple strands of grass by my foot. 'Do you ever go out to the pitch to just fly around?'

'And have people laugh at the fact I own a Cleansweep Six?' snorted Daphne.

'What's wrong with that?' I countered. 'I fly a Thunderbolt III. They're about the same generation broomstick, aren't they? And Cleansweeps are known for their reliability. There's nothing wrong with that sort of broom.'

'Would be if I wanted to be on the Quidditch team,' said Daphne.

'Again, fair point,' I admitted. 'Still, we both own pretty decent brooms. Why don't we go down to the Quidditch pitch before dinner tonight and have a fly?'

Daphne gave me a sceptical look. She seemed to consider my proposition for a minute or two before sighing. She leant her head back against the tree trunk, her blonde hair falling gracefully either side of her face in a way mine would never manage.

'It would be nice to get back on my broomstick,' muttered Daphne. 'All right, fine. I'll meet you at the in the Entrance Hall straight after class finishes.'

I beamed. It had been quite a while since I'd been on my Thunderbolt too after all. From the other side of the school we heard the Clock Tower bell ring out signalling class was about to start again. We gathered our bags and went our separate ways, Daphne heading off for Herbology as I went inside for Charms.

As soon as class was over I rushed back to the Gryffindor Tower to get changed and grab my broom. I threw off my robes and chucked them in a pile on the end of my bed before pulling on some jeans and a t-shirt and my Gryffindor hoody for warmth. I then opened my trunk and pulled out my Thunderbolt III. The broom care kit Lupin had got me for my birthday had certainly come in handy; you wouldn't think it was three-years-old if you looked at its condition. With a smile on my face, the first in quite some time, I hurried back out of the girls' dormitories to the common room. I crossed it, broom clutched beside me, and walked over to the portrait hole. Almost out of habit my eyes glanced briefly over to the corner where Harry, Ron and Hermione were normally found. Sure enough the boys were there but Hermione wasn't. Ever since Scabbers went missing and was presumed eaten, Hermione was never seen in the common room. Harry and Ron were in conversation, Ron in the seat with his back to me while Harry was in the one that faced the portrait hole. He looked up as I passed. My smile faded when our eyes met and I looked away. I pushed open the portrait of Sir Cadogan and left the Tower, pushing thoughts of Harry to the back of my mind.

Daphne, dressed in what to me looked like very smart clothes for casual ones and her Slytherin scarf, was waiting for me by the doors to the Entrance Hall. In her hand I saw a light brown broom that, in comparison to her clothes, looked like it had seen slightly better days. Judging by its state, she must fly it a lot at home even if she didn't at school. I hurried over to her and together we left the Entrance Hall to go down to the Quidditch pitch. On the way we talked rather animatedly as we compared our different brooms, both of us weighing up their pros and cons. While mine had speed on its side, Daphne's apparently had a lot more control for manoeuvres such as dives and rolls, but it's lack of streamlining did counter this quite considerably. Of course, a broomstick was only as good as its rider so we'd just have to see which was better when we got there.

It felt so good to be on my broom again and Daphne was a very good flyer it turned out. She flew around the pitch on her Cleansweep Six with such accuracy and pinpoint turns that I found it amazing she hadn't tried out for the team when she was clearly a better flyer than most of them. She certainly would make a very good Seeker. As for me, the moment I was on my broom I shot of up into the skies in a blur of burgundy, the speed of my Thunderbolt lifting me feet above the ground in a matter of seconds. When I was level with the top of the stands I turned sharply and came to a stop so I could look back down below me. Daphne was floating some feet below me having been distracted by the sudden ascent. I grinned and went into a diver to rejoin her, the loose strands of my fringe blowing out of my eyes as I streaked back down to the pitch. I levelled out before I reached it and flew over to where Daphne was floating.

While Daphne admired my ability to handle such a fast broom, I couldn't help but praise her skills in control. They were something I doubted I'd be able to master on a broom like mine but it didn't mean I didn't want to try. It took a bit of coaxing but Daphne's desire to learn how to move faster won her over and we agreed to give each other pointers on how to improve our respective skills. I made Daphne go first, telling her that she has the control and so it was down to her flying technique that would improve her speed. I got her to fly a couple of laps around me while I watched her style. From what I could see, her posture was what was creating too much drag for her and she needed to angle her body over her broom a bit further to improve this. And giving her broomtail twigs a bit of a trim probably wouldn't do any harm either. I related this to Daphne and she did another couple of laps. Sure enough, her speed improved even if only by a few seconds for now but enough for her to notice a difference.

Then it was my turn. Daphne got me to perform some basic manoeuvres so she could see where I was going wrong. I did a couple of dives and sharp turns at her request then went on to do some loops and rolls. When Daphne called me back over I saw she had a frown on her face from what she had seen. I gave her a confused look.

'Granted your broom has speed but you are pushing it far too much,' Daphne explained. 'If you lessen how fast you make it go, you're manoeuvrability will improve and so you won't overshoot as much on your turns. It'll also help you control it better, making your dives and rolls a lot less risky. How you haven't thrown yourself from your broom yet is quite impressive but it'll make a big difference if you just hold back on the speed a fraction.'

I had to admit I was a bit sceptical but I accepted Daphne's advice. She made me repeat the movements I'd just done but to try and reduce my speed. I set off and started with some turns. I streaked across the length of the pitch towards the goals but this time I made sure to not push my broom as much as I was used to. It was hard to do as I was so used to flying at maximum velocity and I certainly noted how different it felt just with the small reduction in it. When I was above the sandpit area, I made the turn. Sure enough the small change in my speed meant my turn was a lot smoother and I didn't feel my broomtail swing out as much as it had before, nor did my broom perform its usual air-skid that I was accustomed to. Surprised, I flew back down the pitch towards Daphne and repeated the move. Again, my broom's control was much better just because of that simple lowering of my speed. The same happened for my dives, rolls and weaves; with less speed I had more control but at the same time my broom's strength had not been hampered, only improved.

Our time at the Quidditch pitch drew to an end when Daphne spotted a group of students walking out on to the pitch. We had been trying out a few moves professional Quidditch players used in team routines after having helped each other's flying techniques when I had heard Daphne calling me. I was currently balancing carefully on my broom handle, trying out a move used by the American and Australian Quidditch teams that involved using your broom like a Muggle skateboard and riding it standing sideways on its shaft. I looked over in her direction to see seven people dressed in red robes walking on to the pitch. It was the Gryffindor team. They must have practice which means Harry would be there. I sighed. Carefully I used my back foot to angle my broom to allow it to turn and flew back towards Daphne as she flew down to meet me; luckily I wasn't flying too high off the ground in case I fell off. Daphne landed a few feet from the entrance where the Gryffindor team were gathered. I slowed down and hopped off my broom beside her. Unfortunately our presence hadn't gone unnoticed and I saw that the others had been watching us, including Wood, Harry and Ron. I assumed he was here because I noticed in Harry's hand was his Firebolt. He must've got it back from McGonagall.

'Come on, Daphne,' I said quickly, seeing the frown on Harry's face. I didn't know whether it was because I was here, or because I'd been on a broom as Harry didn't know how well I could fly, or because I was in the company of a Slytherin.

Daphne and I picked up our brooms and made to leave. To my dismay, I heard Wood's voice call over to us.

'Hey, hold on there,' shouted Wood. Reluctantly I stopped and glanced back at him. He jogged over to us. 'You fly, Jenna?' he asked me. 'What broom do you ride?'

'A Thunderbolt,' I replied. 'Why?'

'Hmm, a speedy model but known for their problems regarding their control and safety. Good nonetheless. And how long have you been flying for?' persisted Wood.

'Only a couple of years, since I started here.'

A familiar look appeared on Wood's face. It was one I recognised whenever he had a spark of inspiration whether it was for a new team practice or at the thought that Gryffindor was winning. He looked between his team and me. I didn't like where this was going.

'Have you ever considered playing Quidditch? You look like you've got a good flying form and considerable control over the handling of your broom.'

'No, not really,' I shrugged. I glanced at Harry. 'I fly for fun more than anything.'

'Would you possibly consider it?' asked Wood. 'With all these Dementors floating around the school and after what happened at our first match, I was thinking about putting in a substitute for Harry if something happens to him in the next match. Your broom certainly gives you the speed needed for a Seeker and you have the right build for it too. With a bit of training we could get you quickly up to Harry's standards so you can replace him if necessary.'

I hesitated, again glancing in Harry's direction. I knew this would infuriate him more than I already had done and again this was not my fault. I hadn't intended to be seen flying by Wood and I certainly didn't want to replace him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

'I don't think so,' I said eventually. 'I'm not really that sporty. Besides, Dementors affect me really easily too. It would kind of defeat the purpose of having me as a substitute if I can't even play for the same reason.'

Wood looked disheartened by my refusal but seemed to accept it. Together Daphne and I left the pitch. As we walked past the Gryffindor Quidditch team I saw Harry and Ron whispering to each other about something but I chose to ignore it even though it was probably about me. We walked back up to the castle then separated again at the Entrance Hall to return to our respective common rooms until dinner. I returned to the Gryffindor Tower and proceeded back up to the dormitories to put my broom away, happy to hide in there and away from any stares I might get when the Gryffindor team returned.

I was reluctant to go to the match on Saturday morning but despite all the bad feelings currently going around I still wanted to see Harry play. I ended up sitting with Parvati and Lavender, which in hindsight wasn't the best of choices as they did spend a lot of the match discussing our most recent Divination lesson whenever Gryffindor weren't in possession of the Quaffle. I sat beside them silently with my eyes focused on the match as I listened closely to Lee Jordan's commentary and McGonagall's continual reprimanding of him for going off track and talking about Harry's Firebolt.

'They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt which Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor,' Jordan told us. 'According to _Which Broomstick_ , the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship –'

'Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?' Professor McGonagall would interrupt him.

'Right you are, Professor – just giving a bit of background information. The Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and –'

'Jordan!'

'OK, OK, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal, Ravenclaw Chaser Davies attempting to block her – she dodges – KATIE SCORES THE FIRST GOAL FOR GRYFFINDOR!'

While the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Chasers fought for the Quaffle, Harry had his own competition in the form of Ravenclaw Seeker, Cho Chang. I watched as she marked Harry and copied him almost move for move, diving when he dove, turning when he turned, following him wherever he went. I frowned. If that was how she played as Seeker, then she clearly didn't seem to be a very good one if she relied on the skill of others to find the Snitch and not do it herself. A sudden 'Ooooooh' went through the crowd as a Ravenclaw Beater sent a Bludger towards Harry, narrowly missing him. George decided to retaliate and sent it straight back in his direction, much to the Gryffindor students' delight.

'Gryffindor lead by eighty points to zero,' Jordan announced, 'and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now. See it turn – Chang's Comet is just no match for it. The Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long –'

'JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!'

 _Never a dull moment when listening to Lee commentate, is it?_ I thought to myself.

Harry must've realised what Cho was doing as he now seemed to be chasing the Snitch whether he had seen it or not. He would fly one way then sharply change direction then go into a fast dive before pulling out of it last minute so Cho almost hit the ground. There would certainly be no love lost between these two after the match. I watched as they shot to and fro over the pitch before a whisper across the Gryffindors attracted my attention. Something about Dementors on the pitch. Instantly alert, I looked in the direction of where some of them were pointing to see three tall black figures on the pitch. However, I didn't feel the usual chill I got when they were near. In fact, I didn't feel ill at all. My eyes narrowed at the Dementors. If they were real, how come I didn't feel anything? What was going on?

In this distance I heard a vague shout that sounded like Harry's voice. Then something happened. A large silvery shape burst into the sky, its appearance blurred into the clouds above it. The form charged down from above and into the three "Dementors", knocking them to the ground. Was that a Patronus? Did Harry just cast a Patronus? Seeing this, I made my way through the students next to me to go down to the pitch. I wanted to know just what had happened to those black forms, as they clearly weren't what they appeared to be. Above me the action continued followed by screams and cheers which I took to mean someone had caught the Snitch.

I ran down the stairs in the stands and through the nearest entrance to the pitch just before the rest of the Gryffindors flooded down after me. Instead of running over to the team who had now landed and were embracing Harry in celebration, I ran over to the three black forms crumpled in a heap over near the Ravenclaw goals. I came to a stop just before I reached them. I stared at them in disbelief when I saw what it was. Tangled in three large black robes were none other than Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Marcus Flint. They had tried to sabotage Harry by pretending to be Dementors. The shock of being hit by a Patronus had certainly winded them all as they were lying on the grass letting out groans of pain. I shook my head, almost disgusted by their tactics.

'Ah, so that explains it,' said a voice beside me. I looked to my right to see Lupin had come down to the pitch to investigate. 'I guess you too realised you weren't being affected by them?' he asked me.

'Yeah, it seemed a bit weird,' I shrugged. 'That silvery thing that hit them, was that Harry's Patronus?'

'It was, but it wasn't a full one yet from what I could tell,' said Lupin. 'But certainly enough to wind Mr Malfoy and his friends.'

I nodded in agreement. When I looked round again I saw Lupin had disappeared. I guessed to go speak to Harry about what happened. Thinking it best to leave, even though I really wanted to congratulate Harry on both his catch and his Patronus, I thought better of it and disappeared out of the pitch and back up to the castle before the rest of the school. I knew my congratulations wouldn't be appreciated, not until I'd either proven Black was innocent to him or I admitted I had been wrong, and I wasn't going to get my friendship back with him, if at all, until one of those things happened.

I was sure there was only one piece of the puzzle missing. I just couldn't find it. Continuously I ran through everything I knew about them in my head. Black had been one of Lupin's friends at school along with another boy named Peter Pettigrew and had been James Potter's best friend; they had become Animagi to help Lupin with his werewolf problem; Pettigrew had been at my Mum's death and had laughed at the mention of the Marauders and I was positive he had been a Death Eater; there had been suspicions between the friends when the Potters were marked for death and they went into hiding; Black had been the Secret-Keeper for the Potters to everyone's knowledge including Lupin's; and Pettigrew had tracked Black down the following day and was "killed" in front of several Muggle witnesses, or so we were led to believe. Something just didn't fit, the thing that was confusing me most being how Black had changed so much in such a short space of time between the boy he had been described to me at school and the man who'd killed twelve Muggles and a wizard with one curse. Why would Black do it if James Potter had been his best friend? And if Pettigrew was a Death Eater and even more absurd – alive – how did he escape Black's curse unscathed apart from a finger?

I lay awake in my bed once again as I thought this all through. My head was aching with the amount of thoughts rushing through it. I let out a silent groan and turned on to my side.

'I'm missing something, something important,' I whispered to myself. 'But what?'

A loud yell suddenly came from outside my dormitory. I threw open the curtains around my bed, alarmed by the noise. So did Parvati, Lavender, Hermione and Sally-Anne. The five of us looked around at each other in confusion before rushing out of the room and into the stairwell where more girls were gathering. Something had happened in the boys' dormitories. I followed the crowd of girls downstairs into the common room who then began to gather at the foot of the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories.

'Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!' shouted a voice that sounded like Ron's. Instantly I shrunk back in the crowd and away from everyone. I hid in the corner where I used to sit with the others out of sight.

' _What?_ '

'Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!

'Black?' gasped several of the girls while others screamed.

'Here in the Tower?'

'Where?'

'What're you doing?' came Percy's voice over the commotion. 'Why are you all out of bed?'

'Percy, it was Sirius Black!' shouted Ron. The girls backed away from the staircase as it became filled with boys streaming down from their dormitories as well. At the front of the crowd were Ron and Percy, closely followed by Harry, Neville, Dean and Seamus. 'I'm not lying, he was there!'

'What? Ron, that's preposterous,' dismissed Percy. 'Are you sure you weren't dreaming?'

'I'm telling you, I saw him!'

'What's all the noise?' asked one of the students from the top of the stairs.

'Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!' said another.

'Excellent, are we carrying on?' asked Fred. Clearly the party from earlier was still on his mind rather than the possible murder of his brother.

'Everyone back upstairs!' snapped Percy. He had even pinned his Head Boy badge on to his pyjamas.

'Perce – Sirius Black!' repeated Ron. 'In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!'

'Nonsense!' said Percy, again dismissing his brother. 'You had too much to eat, Ron – had a nightmare –'

'I'm telling you –'

'Now, really, enough's enough!'

All the noise had roused Professor McGonagall. She stormed into the common room, hair up in a hairnet and dressed in a tartan dressing gown, a furious look on her face at the students awake in the Tower having been told to go to bed after partying for too long earlier.

'I am delighted Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!'

'I certainly didn't authorise this, Professor,' said Percy indignantly. 'I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare –'

'IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!' shouted Ron. 'PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!'

Professor McGonagall stared at Ron.

'Don't be ridiculous Weasley, how could he possibly have got through the portrait hole?'

'Ask him!' said Ron, pointing at the entrance to the Tower. 'Ask him if he saw –'

Eyes narrowed, Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and walked back out of the common room. The crowd waited and listened anxiously.

'How many I serve you, Madam?' came his voice.

'Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?' we heard her ask.

'Certainly, good lady!' cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence. I felt my heart sink as I crouched behind the chairs in the corner.

'You – you _did_?' said Professor McGonagall. 'But – but the password!'

'He had 'em!' said Sir Cadogan proudly. 'Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!'

Professor McGonagall stormed back into the common room. She was white as chalk but I could see her lips were pursed so tightly they were barely visible. I'd never seen her look so angry before.

'Which person,' she said, her eyes closed and voice shaking, 'which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and then proceeded to leave them lying around?'

There was silence. Then from the back of the crowd came a tiny terrified squeak. A shaking hand lifted into the air. I peered out from where I was hidden to see a trembling Neville raising his hand.

'Is it always going to be you, Longbottom?' Professor McGonagall snapped. Neville squeaked again. Professor McGonagall sighed in exasperation. 'Well,' she said, 'Sirius Black is gone for tonight. But I think you can safely assume that he will, at some future time, attempt to return. Now, I speak for the entire staff when I say while we take every precaution to ensure your safety, it is incumbent upon yourselves to act responsibly. Is that understood?'

A muttered "yes" went round the common room. With that Professor McGonagall sent us back to bed and left the common room. I crouched back down in the corner to wait for everyone to go. So Black had gotten into the Tower. Harry could have died tonight if Black had gotten the right bed. I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't want to think that. I still didn't want to believe Black was after Harry and had simply gotten Ron's bed by mistake. It was odd though. Black scarpered before he could kill Harry. Why? Five thirteen-year-old wizards couldn't stop a man as powerful as Black. Why would he run instead of just finishing them all off? Certainly didn't stop him all those years ago. Glancing out from behind the chair to see everyone was gone, I came out from hiding and returned to my room.

Professor McGonagall returned in the morning. The castle had been searched once more but again Black had escaped and was nowhere to be found. Later that morning I saw Professor Cadogan's portrait being removed from in front of the Tower entrance and the portrait of the Fat Lady was reinstalled with the addition of large surly-looking security trolls for extra protection. When I went to lunch I saw Professor Flitwick attempting to teach the front doors of the Entrance Hall to recognise a picture of Black in case he tried to get in a third time. A part of me was pretty sure he wasn't stupid enough to use the front door. Either way, security around the castle had increased tenfold and everyone was on edge. It was all I could do to keep my nerves hidden from anyone around me.

To my surprise, Neville wasn't punished for losing the passwords to the Gryffindor Tower that allowed Black inside. Then again, I think what happened on Monday morning was punishment enough for him. When the post arrived a scarlet envelope was dropped in front of Neville at breakfast that must've been from his grandmother. It was a Howler. Professor McGonagall must've written to her. The sound of her voice magnified several times over ringing out from the Entrance Hall after Neville had run for it probably was enough humiliation for him and so would do the same as any detention would here. The only thing that could be worse for him would have been Snape belittling him for it instead of McGonagall.

The next week passed by and soon Sirius Black was forgotten about as the next Hogsmeade weekend arrived. Once breakfast was over I headed out into the grounds for some peace and quiet away from the first and second-years that had taken over the common room as usual in the absence of the older students. I took refuge beneath the beech tree near to the edge of the lake, dumping my bag beside me that I had brought down with me just in case I felt like starting some revision. Exams were a few months away after all and with Lupin here I had no excuse not to revise for them. I sat alone in the grounds, the only noise being the lapping of the lake's water against the bank from the ripples caused by the creatures living in it or the giant squid. And the noise of footsteps.

My head twitched up from staring at the mountains in the distance when I heard a rustling beside me. I looked round. Now I already knew there were a lot of animals and creatures living in the grounds from centaurs in the Forbidden Forest to the cats and owls kept as pets by the students. But I wasn't aware that there was a black dog wandering around, besides Fang of course, but he was usually in Hagrid's Hut. My eyes fell upon the animal as it walked across the grass a few feet away from me. It wasn't any discernable breed from what I could tell, but was rather big for its size and very shaggy. And it wasn't alone. Padding along beside it taking two strides for its every one was a familiar ginger feline I hadn't seen in quite some time: Crookshanks. I frowned. Why was Crookshanks hanging around with a strange black dog? More to the point, what was the dog even doing here? Did it belong to someone from the village or was it a stray? As I watched the dog stopped and looked over towards me. It seemed to stare at me for a moment or two before turning away and carrying on. They disappeared into the Forest. I remained where I was, completely stunned. How strange.

I returned to the castle shortly before lunch. I had decided to go see Lupin. I needed to talk to him about Black. He was the only one I could talk to after all. I knew the subject was a touchy one for him but I just needed him to hear me out and help me decide what to do. I was thirteen, for Merlin's sake. I didn't know what to do about all that was going on. I made my way back into the castle and up towards the Dark Arts Tower. Just as I reached it, however, I was distracted by something. Emerging from the back of the One-Eyed Witch statue was Harry. He must've snuck into Hogsmeade again. He stood straight having just climbed out of it but stopped when he saw me. Before either of us said anything there was another set of footsteps. Harry jumped. Alarmed at the thought of being caught with Harry after he had gone to Hogsmeade, I instantly cleared my thoughts and changed into a mouse, not caring if Harry saw me or not. Just in time too as Snape suddenly appeared where I had been seconds before in the entrance to the Tower. Quickly I scurried across the stone floor and ran up Harry's trouser leg and into his pocket; it may not be the best choices of hiding places but at least it meant I was out of the firing line.

'So … Come with me Potter ...'

I could just make out Snape's voice through the material of Harry's trousers. I dug my tiny claws into it when I felt Harry walk off to follow Snape wherever he was taking him. It was a very uncomfortable ride in Harry's pocket for the following few minutes as I felt us go down several sets of stairs. I could only guess we were heading to Snape's office in the dungeon. After what felt like an eternity in this form I heard Snape tell Harry to sit down and I felt the pocket constrict slightly as Harry did as he was told.

'Mr Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story, Potter,' Snape said slowly. His voice sounded even nastier through these ears. 'He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley – apparently alone.' There was a pause before Snape continued. 'Mr Malfoy states he was standing talking to Weasley, when a large amount of mud hit him on the back of the head. How do you think that could have happened?'

'I don't know, Professor,' replied Harry. I bet my whiskers he bloody did.

'Mr Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition,' Snape said next. 'Can you imagine what it might have been, Potter?'

'No,' said Harry.

'It was your head, Potter. Floating in mid-air.'

 _Harry!_ I groaned in my head. _You are such an idiot sometimes!_

'Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey,' suggested Harry. 'If he's seeing things like –'

'What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?' Snape cut over him so softly I almost couldn't hear it. 'Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade.'

'I know that,' said Harry. 'It sounds like Malfoy's having hallucin–'

'Malfoy is not having hallucinations,' snapped Snape. I felt the chair creak as something moved it. 'If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you.'

'I've been up in the Gryffindor Tower,' said Harry. 'Like you told –'

'Can anyone confirm that?'

'Jenna could,' replied Harry straight away. 'Ask her –'

'Miss Black has been in the grounds all morning,' sneered Snape, 'having been seen heading there by myself before I ran into you earlier in the very same corridor I found you in just now. Anyone else?'

This time, Harry didn't reply.

'So,' said Snape. 'Everyone from the Minister for Magic downwards has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought of the consequences.'

Again Harry said nothing.

'How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter. He, too, was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch pitch made him think he was a cut above the rest of us, too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers … the resemblance is uncanny.'

'My Dad didn't strut,' said Harry suddenly. 'And nor do I.'

'Your father didn't care for the rules of us lower wizards,' Snape goaded. 'Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup winners. His head was so swollen –'

'SHUT UP!'

Harry must have gotten to his feet as all of a sudden I felt his pocket shake. After all of Snape's taunting I'm not surprised Harry had lost his temper. The shock of it though made me cower in his pocket, scared of what might happen while I was in this very easily killable form.

' _What did you say to me, Potter?_ ' said Snape, his voice deadly.

'I told you to shut up about my Dad!' yelled Harry. 'I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for my Dad!'

'And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?' retorted Snape viciously. 'Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?'

Harry didn't respond. I remained still, confused as to what they both meant.

'I would hate you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter,' snarled Snape. 'Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you – your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have not only resulted in my death but also the death of your partner-in-crime's mother if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts.'

I frowned. What on earth had James done that could have resulted in Snape almost being killed and apparently my Mum as well? Unless … it didn't have something to do with Lupin, did it? Was that the reason behind why Snape hated him so much?

'Turn out your pockets, Potter.'

I jumped. Snape wanted Harry to empty his pockets. That means he might feel me in here. I'd be caught. If he did how was he going to explain why he had a mouse in them?

'Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the Headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!'

I felt Harry's pocket shift as he put his hand in them. I squirmed and dove deeper into the one I was in, narrowly avoiding Harry's hand as he grabbed the bag I'd apparently been sitting on. I slid down into the now empty pocket using my claws once again to steady myself so I wouldn't be noticed. It was a few minutes before anything was said in which time I assumed Snape was examining what Harry had taken out.

'Ron gave them to me,' Harry said. 'He – brought them back from Hogsmeade last time –'

'Indeed? And you've been carrying them round ever since? How very touching … and what's this?'

I don't know what Snape had picked up but it didn't sound good.

'Spare bit of parchment,' replied Harry.

 _Spare bit of parchment? No …_

'Surely you don't need such a very _old_ piece of parchment? Why don't I just – throw this away?'

 _No!_ I thought as Harry shouted out the same thing.

'So!' said Snape suspiciously. 'Is this another treasured gift from Mr Weasley? Or is it – something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or – instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?' A brief pause. 'Let me see, let me see … Reveal your secret!'

I shut my eyes tightly. We'd be in so much trouble if Snape found out about the Marauder's Map.

'Show yourself!' demanded Snape. Again there was a brief silence as he waited for something to happen. 'Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!' Finally something must have happened as seconds later Snape said, 'Read it.'

' _Mr Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape_ ,' Harry read out, ' _and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business_.'

If I had been in human form my jaw would have dropped open at that. I sat completely stunned in Harry's pocket at Moony's – or as I know him – Lupin's insulting message to Snape. If the situation hadn't been so serious I might have even found it funny. And it didn't stop there.

' _Mr Prongs agrees with Mr Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git._

' _Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor._ '

 _Oh geeze, my father put that?_ I thought.

' _Mr Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to was his hair, the slimeball_.'

I cringed inwardly. Things couldn't get any worse. I was definitely wrong.

'So …' said Snape, his voice dangerously soft. 'We'll see about this …'

I'm not quite sure what Snape did as all I heard was a couple of footsteps and then Lupin's name being shouted very loudly. It was followed by the sound of whooshing, like when someone arrived by Floo powder, and then Lupin's voice spoke.

'You called, Severus?' he said mildly.

'I certainly did,' replied Snape. 'I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this.'

Snape must have showed Lupin the Marauder's Map. I'd bet my wand Lupin would recognise it the moment he read the words that had appeared on it. Harry and most likely I were going to be in so much trouble with Lupin even if he spared us being in trouble with Snape.

'Well?' demanded Snape. ' _Well_? This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?'

'Full of Dark Magic?' came Lupin's response after several minutes. 'Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who tries to read it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke-shop –'

'Indeed?' said Snape. 'You think a joke-shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it _directly from the manufacturers_?'

No, Snape couldn't possibly know that Moony was Lupin. Lupin had said those nicknames he and his friends had used while they were at school were just used by them, no one else. Snape just couldn't know!

'You mean, from Mr Wormtail or one of these people?' said Lupin. 'Harry, do you know any of these men?'

'No,' said Harry quickly. Well, of course, he wouldn't, would he?

'You see, Severus?' said Lupin. 'It looks like a Zonko product to me –'

It looked like Harry was going to be in the clear, and hopefully I would be too if Lupin couldn't tell I was here. Just then I heard the sound of the office door banging open followed by Ron's panicked voice.

'I – gave – Harry – that – stuff,' he panted. 'Bought – it – in – Zonko's – ages – ago …'

'Well!' said Lupin cheerfully. 'That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I? Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay. Excuse us, Severus.'

I kept very still as I felt Harry's trouser pocket begin to move again as Harry left Snape's office with Ron and Lupin. If I was lucky, that would be the end of it, Harry and Ron would return to the Tower and I'd be able to sneak out of Harry's pocket undetected and it would have been like I was never even in there. Unfortunately, Lupin knew me better than I thought and somehow, and I really didn't know how, he knew I was there. After leaving the office, Lupin instructed Ron to go back to the Tower as he wanted a word in private with Harry. I assumed Ron did as he was told and Harry proceeded to follow Lupin to wherever he led him to. It was another few minutes before they stopped and Harry attempted to explain himself.

'Professor, I –'

'I don't want to hear explanations,' said Lupin shortly, 'but firstly, Jenna, you can come out now.'

Harry must've been very confused when Lupin said that because as far as he could see, I wasn't there. Little did he know what was hiding in his pocket. Inwardly I sighed at the knowledge I'd been caught. I used my claws and scrambled out of Harry's pocket. I jumped out of the opening and transformed back to my normal self to see we were in an empty classroom, much to Harry's shock. He stared at me having appeared from nowhere while I kept my eyes firmly averted away from him. A single glance from beneath my fringe told me Lupin wasn't pleased. He was looking at the pair of us with an expression of great disappointment on his tired face. I'd never seen him so angry.

'Now,' said Lupin, his voice very calm, 'I happen to know this Map was confiscated by Mr Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a Map,' he said, ignoring Harry's look of surprise at this. 'I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, _astounded_ that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry. Did it never occur to you that this, in the hands of Sirius Black, is a map directly to you?'

Harry didn't respond but shook his head.

'No.'

'No, sir,' Harry muttered.

'Your father didn't set much store by the rules, either,' Lupin continued. 'But he and your mother gave their lives to save yours and gambling their sacrifice by leaving the castle to go to Hogsmeade unprotected with a killer on the loose seems to me as a pretty poor way to repay them.'

It seemed Harry was going to get most of the brunt of Lupin's anger. That's when he turned to me.

'And you, Jenna, you know perfectly well that you cannot flaunt your abilities like that or use them to leave the castle when someone could see you.' I didn't respond, despite the fact that had not actually been the case. I had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and used it to avoid being caught by one person despite being caught by another. 'And if Black knows you're alive he will try to use you and he will hurt you. I am not losing you again.

'The pair of you should both know better and I'm extremely disappointed with both of you,' finished Lupin. 'I expected better of two people who know what it's like to lose their loved ones in dangerous times.'

For the first time in weeks, Harry and I looked at each other. We shared the same look of embarrassment at what had happened.

'Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?' Harry eventually asked.

'Because …' Lupin hesitated, 'because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of the school. They'd think it extremely entertaining.'

'Do you _know_ them?' said Harry. I didn't like the fact he seemed impressed at that thought.

'We've met,' said Lupin shortly. 'Now, don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry, either of you. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them – gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks. I will not cover up for you two again. Do you hear me?'

'Yes, sir,' said Harry.

'Yes, Lupin,' I muttered. If he hadn't noticed, he'd just blown it for me in front of Harry by making me reveal myself. Otherwise Harry probably hadn't realised what I'd done to vanish from the corridor before Snape found us.

'Now, I want you to return to your common room and stay there,' instructed Lupin. 'And don't take any detours.'

Lupin tapped the Map then turned to leave the classroom. While Harry might not have picked up on Lupin's hint, I certainly did. I remained where I was, not daring to say anything or leave until Lupin had gone. Beside me, however, Harry spoke.

'Professor,' he said quietly, 'just so you know, I don't think that Map always works. The other night, it showed someone in the castle. Someone I know to be dead.'

'Oh, really?' asked Lupin, turning briefly to answer Harry. 'And who might that be?'

'Peter Pettigrew.'

My eyes widened. I looked between Harry and Lupin. Sure enough, Lupin too had seemed to freeze at the mention of Pettigrew's name, staring at Harry as if he'd just seen a ghost. But for me, I had found my final piece of the puzzle. Pettigrew was alive, somehow, and now all I had to do was prove it.

'That's not possible,' breathed Lupin.

'It's just what I saw,' said Harry.

Harry made to leave the classroom, walking past where Lupin stood rooted to the spot by this revelation and out the door. As soon as he was gone, I spoke.

'I told you,' I said. 'I said what if he never died?' Lupin didn't respond. He was still trying to comprehend what he had just learnt. 'You said your best friends became Animagi for you because you were a werewolf. What did they change into?' I asked.

'James, was a stag, Black was a dog, and Peter, a rat,' replied Lupin slowly. 'The nicknames we had on this Map are enough of a clue: Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail. I was Moony, of course. But it's not possible, Peter died, there were witnesses.'

'But isn't anything possible with the help of a little magic?' I asked. Lupin looked at me.

'Yes, it is. But there _were_ witnesses. Black destroyed Peter.'

I could see Lupin was still grasping at straws, not wanting to believe that his friend was alive. He went to leave the classroom but again I stopped him.

'What if they didn't see what they thought they saw?' I called.

Lupin glanced at me long enough to acknowledge my remark then left the classroom.

The Marauder's Map was more than enough proof for me that Pettigrew was alive and was somewhere in the castle or grounds hiding in his Animagus form. How long he'd been here, who knew. I could only hold an animal form for a few hours, overnight at best, depending on what form I took. By what it seemed, Pettigrew had been hiding as a rat for years. The only problem was there had to be hundreds of rats in Hogwarts, both pets and the wild ones living in the grounds. There would be no way of knowing which one Pettigrew was, nor did I have any idea about how to find him, not now Lupin had the Map. I had reached another dead end but there was one source of comfort in all this. Harry might not be Black's target after all: Pettigrew was.

To my surprise Harry did not attempt to confront me about my "abilities" that Lupin had exposed to him. I wasn't sure if this was due to shock that his former best friend could transform into animals or that he just didn't know what to say about it. And by the looks of it, he hadn't told anyone either. When I came down to dinner later that day I had expected several people to stare at me for my abnormality but to my surprise I went by unnoticed as usual. It appeared that, despite being on bad terms, Harry had not told anyone about what I could do. Our eyes met briefly as I walked down the Gryffindor table looking for a spare seat but that was about it. My secret was safe, for now.

The lack of contact between Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had finally stopped taking its toll on me and so by April I was more than used to finding out information I had previously known about far too late or by someone I didn't want to hear it from. The latter was certainly the case when I finally heard about the results of Buckbeak's trial. I had known the trial had been and gone, but I hadn't found out what the outcome was. It wasn't until Care of Magical Creatures on Thursday afternoon that I found out from a rather unwelcome source that Buckbeak had lost his trial and was going to be executed.

''S all my fault,' I had overheard Hagrid saying to Harry, Ron and Hermione – who appeared to be on speaking terms again – as he escorted us back up to the castle after class. 'Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em.'

From what I could hear, things didn't sound promising. It was Malfoy, however, who confirmed what I suspected.

'Look at that great oaf,' came Malfoy's voice just ahead me. He was talking quite loudly to Crabbe and Goyle about the trial. I glared over at him out the corner of my eye. 'Still, at least that beast's getting what's coming to it. Father says the Committee is going to contact him with a date any day now.'

My glare darkened and I felt a swell of anger rise in my chest. I blocked out Malfoy's voice to try and focus on Hagrid's conversation with the others.

''S no good, Ron,' Hagrid was now saying. 'That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that …'

Now at the top of the hill and in the Clock Tower Courtyard, Hagrid turned away and hurried back down it towards his cabin. His face was buried in his large red spotted handkerchief as he fought back the tears. I truly felt sorry for him. I knew how much he loved creatures and to lose one like Buckbeak for reasons that weren't his fault was just so unfair. My sympathy for Hagrid, however, was quickly replaced with anger once more when I heard Malfoy's voice again.

'Look at him blubber!' he jeered to Crabbe and Goyle. They had been watching from the castle doors. 'Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!'

Never had I felt such anger in my life before now. It felt like a heat had risen in my body and my skin felt all tingly like it was going to catch fire. And his words had done it for me. While Harry and Ron made a move to get to him, I got there first. I just marched right up to him, regardless of the boys and Hermione being there, drew back my hand and slapped him as hard as I could across the cheek. Malfoy staggered backwards in shock while Crabbe and Goyle looked flabbergasted beside him as I drew back my hand a second time.

'Don't you _dare_ call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil –'

I felt someone grab my hand and Ron say my name.

'Get _off_ me!' I growled at him. I snatched back my hand then pulled out my wand. I levelled it with Malfoy, my eyes focused down its tip at his chest. To my surprise, Malfoy was still smiling, which only made me angrier.

'Well, well,' said Malfoy, 'Black's finally broken away from golden boy Potter? No longer part of his team? Found out your dark little secret, did he?'

'Say one more thing, Malfoy, and I swear …' I warned him.

Malfoy merely grinned, then muttered, 'C'mon.' to Crabbe and Goyle. The three of them went inside, leaving me alone with Harry, Ron and Hermione. I glared at his back as he walked away then pocketed my wand again. I made to go inside but stopped when I heard Harry behind me.

'Following in your father's footsteps?' he asked. I span round to look at him. His usual glare at me these days was now more of a frown. 'Violence must run in the family.'

'He deserved what he got,' I said. I wasn't attempting to justify what I did but it was true. 'Besides, I've got more right to do that to Malfoy then any of you have, even if I was defending Hagrid.'

'Oh, and why's that?' Harry asked.

'You want to know why?' I repeated in disbelief. 'Because his father killed my mother!' I shouted. 'I spent years in that horrible orphanage because of his father! Where's the justice in that? A man guilty of murder walks free because of his influence at the Ministry, something he still flaunts to get others sentenced to death – creature or not – while another is condemned for a crime he didn't commit!'

My unexpected outburst caught the others off guard. I had never told any of them how my Mum had died, only that she had been killed by Death Eaters shortly after I was born. Not even Lupin knew it had been Lucius Malfoy who'd killed her.

'For the record, I am not on Black's side nor am I on yours,' I told them, talking more directly to Harry. 'I don't want Black to kill you. But as his daughter, I _have_ to believe there's a chance that he's innocent if it means getting half of my family back until I'm proven wrong. I'm just sorry my "friends" can't understand that.'

I turned on my heel and pushed open the door to the Clock Tower. Behind me, I just heard Hermione say, 'I'm not saying what Jenna did was right, but if she hadn't of done that, I would have. You'd better beat him in the Quidditch final! You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin win!'

The two didn't really even things out, in my opinion.

I got to Charms before the others and took a seat between Seamus and Neville. When the others got there I noticed Hermione had disappeared. I frowned in confusion when I saw this. It had not been the first time this had happened. In fact, now that I thought about it, several times throughout the year I had seen Hermione suddenly vanish without warning then reappear again seconds later in a slightly different place nearby to where she had originally been. But due to us not being on speaking terms since Christmas I had never had the opportunity to ask her. As Professor Flitwick began the lesson on Cheering Charms, my thoughts of Hermione's mysterious disappearances were pushed aside and left unanswered. She didn't show up again until Divination that afternoon.

Divination seemed stuffier than usual and I was forced to loosen my tie in order to cope with the heat. Sat with Lavender and Parvati, a large crystal ball was placed on the table before us meaning we had finished all the work on palmistry. I was definitely relieved about that; there was only so much you can gleam from someone's lifeline. I sat silently as the last few entered the classroom, including Harry, Ron and Hermione, and waited for Professor Trelawney to start the lesson. The sooner that happened, the sooner it would be over.

'Good day to you!' she chimed in her usual "ethereal" voice. By now her dramatic entrances from out of the shadows in her classroom barely made us flinch, although Parvati and Lavender always giggled with anticipation of the lesson. 'I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned,' said Professor Trelawney, taking her seat by the fireplace. 'The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice.'

'Probably because you wrote the exam,' I muttered under my breath to myself.

'Crystal-gazing,' continued Professor Trelawney dramatically, 'is a particularly refined art. I do not expect any of you to See when you first peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes –' across the classroom I heard Ron start to snigger, '– so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class.'

I know they say seeing is believing, but all I could see when I looked in the crystal ball was a lot of grey smoke. After twenty minutes or so of some calming breathing exercises designed to empty the mind, Professor Trelawney got us to start looking into our crystal balls but what we were looking for, she didn't actually say. Beside me Parvati and Lavender were feverishly whispering to each other whenever they thought they saw something whereas I merely sat there with my eyes fixed on a single spot seeing absolutely nothing. Professor Trelawney was passing from table to table, offering help to those who needed. She passed Harry, Ron and Hermione, seconds later the three of them bursting into uncontrollable laughter at something Ron had said.

'Now, really!' said Professor Trelawney. Parvati and Lavender looked horrified by the disturbance. 'You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!'

Everyone was now watching Harry's table. It appeared it was time for Professor Trelawney's daily prediction of Harry's demise.

'There is something here!' she whispered. 'Something moving … but what is it?'

 _The Grim?_ I thought to myself.

'My dear …' breathed Professor Trelawney. 'It is here, plainer than ever before … my dear, stalking towards you, growing ever closer … the Gr–'

'Oh, for _goodness_ ' sake!' snapped Hermione. 'Not that ridiculous Grim again!'

Professor Trelawney looked scandalised at Hermione's outburst.

'Typical Hermione,' whispered Parvati beside me. 'Too close-minded to be able to See anything …'

'I am sorry to say,' said Professor Trelawney, her voice a lot sharper than usual, 'that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my _dear_ , it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane.'

There was a moment's silence. Then –

'Fine!' said Hermione. She sprung to her feet and crammed her textbook back into her overstuffed bag. 'Fine!' she repeated, swinging it on to her shoulder, nearly taking Ron out with it in the process. 'I give up! I'm leaving!'

To everyone's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. Of all the people to ever walk out of class, Hermione was the last you'd suspect to do so. But sure enough, she had done just that. I looked around the class. Everyone was unsure what to do. Professor Trelawney, meanwhile, just stood there not saying a word.

'Ooooo!' said Lavender suddenly. Everyone jumped. 'Oooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? " _Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!_ " You said it _ages_ ago, Professor!'

Professor Trelawney gave a half-smile.

'Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us,' she admitted. 'One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs … the Inner Eye can be a burden, you know …'

I rolled my eyes. It didn't take a genius – or an Inner Eye for that matter – to know Hermione had hated the subject from day one and that it would only be a matter of time before she walked out.

'Signs, my wand,' I muttered under my breath.

The Easter holidays arrived but for the third-year students, they seemed anything but a holiday. We had so much homework to do that the common room and library was constantly overtaken by us as we attempted to make some sort of dent in our workload. The weather at last finally started to improve and so instead of containing myself inside the castle as I attempted to revise, I broke away from the rest of the year and began spending more time out by the lake underneath the beech tree. It was much quieter than the common room was where you'd hear the frequent mutterings and swearings about the work we'd been set and wasn't too quiet like the library where I got easily distracted.

Being out in the grounds did mean that once again I saw that strange dog from weeks ago. This time without Crookshanks by its side, I had looked up from my homework having had the strange feeling I was being watched and sure enough saw the dog sitting at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I rested my quill on my parchment and sat up. The dog and I stared at each other, neither of us moving. I waited, wondering if there was a reason why it found me so interesting. After a moment or two, the dog got to its paws and stepped out from the shadows of the trees. It padded slowly across the grass and towards me where I sat by the lake. The closer it got, the bigger I saw it was. It seemed almost the same size as Moony, in fact, now that I thought about it, and werewolves were known to be bigger than normal wolves. The dog stopped just in front of me, sitting down on its back legs. It looked at me almost expectantly. I cast my eyes over it. I definitely could not place what breed it was, its face, body and tail seeming to be a mixture of several types making it no more than a common mutt by my guess; its fur was almost pure black and was so thick and shaggy I wouldn't be surprised if it was matted through to the dog's skin; its ears were large and pointed, standing straight up on its head; but it was the eyes that caught me by surprise, a strange grey in colour that were staring at me with such intensity it was almost unnerving, almost as if they were … human …

Braving it I reached out my hand to touch the dog, keeping my palm open and facing it so it knew I meant it no harm. The dog leaned forwards just enough so it could sniff it before letting its muzzle touch my skin. Then to my surprise it ran its head under my hand as if to encourage me to stroke it. I did so, gently scratching it behind its ear. I was surprised how soft the dog's fur actually was, gliding underneath my fingers with ease. The dog seemed to be enjoying my attentions as its bushy tail was wagging quite happily behind it. Suddenly its ears twitched as it picked up something I couldn't hear and it looked back towards the Forest. I followed its gaze. Crookshanks had appeared and was sitting where the dog had originally been. The dog looked back at me then took a step closer. It gently licked my cheek before turning on its heel and running off back into the darkness of the trees. It was gone.

I sat there in silence, my mind spinning. I had never seen a dog act like that before and yet the creature seemed so familiar. For a brief moment the first Gryffindor Quidditch match came back to my thoughts. I had seen this dog before; it had been sitting in the stands at the first match, watching it. I had seen it in a flash of lightning and, because of it being fresh in our thoughts, I had thought it was possibly the Grim. But now having seen it close up twice, I knew it wasn't some giant omen of death. It was just a rather large black dog. But despite recognising it from the Quidditch match there was still something I couldn't place about it or why I felt like I knew it.

Despite the mood cast by impending exams, there was nothing else that Gryffindor could talk about other than the pending final match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. They were leading on the scoreboard by two hundred points, which wasn't a narrow margin for Gryffindor to catch up to but it was still possible for us to win the Cup. It had got the entirety of the House worked up at the thought that this could finally be the year we won the Quidditch House Cup having not won it since Ron's brother Charlie was at Hogwarts and so the team was practicing every free moment it could. I could only imagine how unbearable Wood must be currently, what with all his tactics and plans and strategies, and I almost felt a wave of pity for the team at having to put up with him until the match was over.

By the time the Easter holidays were over, the tension between the Gryffindors and Slytherins was higher than it had ever been in previous years. Walking down corridors provoked shouts and jeers from both sides and the teachers were seen on more than one occasion having to break up scuffles that broke out between the students. One fight got so bad that a Gryffindor in the year above us and a Slytherin sixth-year both ended up in the Hospital Wing growing leeks out their ears. The few times I saw Daphne I didn't dare go speak to her; instead we seemed to share the same knowing look as we passed each other before walking off in our separate directions. Things were not likely to settle down until the match had been played and a winner decided. And the sooner that was the better.

The night before the match it was impossible to get any work done. I sat hidden away in amongst some fifth-year students reading my Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook while the rest of the House revelled in the chaos. Fred and George seemed to be dealing with the pressure by being twice as loud and twice as destructive as they normally were and so were at the centre of all the excitement in the common room; Wood was still pouring over a miniature model of a Quidditch pitch; Angelina, Alicia and Katie were laughing at the twins antics; and in the opposite corner I could see Harry tucked away with Ron and Hermione. I could see how nervous he looked, the same nerves he had before his very first Quidditch match all that time ago.

'Team!' Wood's voice rang out through the noise. The rest of the Gryffindor team looked up. 'Bed!'

The arrival of the Gryffindor team at breakfast the next day was greeted by a thunderous round of applause from the rest of the House as well as the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs. The Slytherin table meanwhile hissed loudly as they walked passed. At ten o'clock the team rose after a stilted breakfast to another round of applause and left the Great Hall for the pitch. Reluctantly I abandoned my half-eaten breakfast and joined the crowds to go and watch the game. Just like the previous game I was torn in two between wanting to be there for Harry and support him as he tried to win the title for Gryffindor while another part of me knew I'd still only be on the sidelines until I had my answers. Nevertheless I took my place in the stands and waited for the match to start.

'And here are the Gryffindors!' yelled Lee Jordan's voice over the Quidditch pitch. Thunderous cheers and applause rang through the stadium. 'Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best side Hogwarts has seen in a good few years –'

I glanced over at the Slytherin stands as a tide of boos sounded out as they made their opinion known. I rolled my eyes at the predictability of it. Since meeting and spending time with Daphne, the animosity between Gryffindor and Slytherin seemed so absurd and unfounded in my opinion. It did make me wonder just what exactly was it that made us hate each other so much.

'And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the line-up and seems to be going for size rather than skill. Malfoy, Flint, Montague, Warrington, Derrick, Bole and Bletchly.'

More boos echoed from the Slytherin end. My eyes followed the group of seven as they slunk on to the pitch in their green robes, each looking as surly as the next. Whether or not Jordan's comment was in jest, it appeared he was right. Each one of them was either taller or broader than their Gryffindor counterpart apart from Malfoy, who seemed to be dwarfed by his teammates. This was going to be an interesting match. Madam Hooch called for the Captains to shake hands. You didn't need to be standing right next to them to know that as they did so both Wood and Flint were staring at each other steely-eyed and seeing who could crush whose hand.

'Mount your brooms!' said Madam Hooch. 'Three … two … one …'

With a sharp blow on her whistle, the fourteen players shot into the air and the game began.

'And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goalpost, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no – Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the pitch – WHAM! – nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by – Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on Angeline – nice swerve round Montague – _duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger!_ – SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'

My heart was in my throat just watching these first few minutes of the game. I had never seen a match as tense as this. Angelina celebrated her goal only to be rammed seconds later by Flint and almost knocked from her broom. Three quarters of the students erupted in boos. Next moment, I saw Fred had chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's causing him to fall forwards and smash his nose into his broom handle. This was getting violent and the game had only been in play less than ten minutes.

'That will do!' shrieked Madam Hooch. 'Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to _their_ Chaser!'

Alicia took the Quaffle and lined herself up for the penalty.

'Come on, Alicia!' yelled Jordan. 'YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR! Flint's up next to take the Slytherin penalty.' Still bleeding, Flint levelled himself with the Gryffindor goals. Wood floated steadily in the middle, ready for him. ''Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!' continued Jordan. 'Superb! Very difficult to pass – very difficult indeed – YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!

I let out the breath I didn't realised I'd been holding in. I honestly didn't know how much more of this I could take.

'Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession – no! – Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch – THAT WAS DELIBERATE!'

I gasped as I watched Montague from Slytherin go to grab the Quaffle from Katie only to grab her head instead. Katie screamed as her broom cartwheeled in mid-air. She only just managed to stay on it. She did, however, drop the Quaffle. A second penalty was awarded to us by Madam Hooch. Katie took it and we scored once more.

'THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING –'

'Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way –' interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice warningly.

'I'm telling it like it is, Professor!'

My attention was diverted away from Jordan's commentary when a sudden gasp rang through the crowd. My eyes scanned the pitch and I found the source. Harry had spotted something and suddenly shot off towards the Slytherin goalposts? Was it the Snitch? We only had thirty points, it was too early for him to catch it if we want to win. Malfoy was close on Harry's broom tail. Suddenly a Bludger flew past Harry's face, Harry narrowly missing it as it grazed his right cheek; next the second Bludger shot past Harry's elbow. Both of the Slytherin Beaters were closing in on him. With seconds to spare Harry aimed his Firebolt upwards and shot higher into the sky as Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch. That was close.

'Ha haaa!' laughed Jordan as the crowd cheered Harry's manoeuvre. 'Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle – Flint alongside her – poke him in the eye, Angelina! – it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke – oh no, Flint in possession, Flint flying towards the Gryffindor goalposts, come on, now, Wood, save –!'

The horns rang out meaning Slytherin had scored. The cheers from the Slytherins, however, weren't enough to drown out the boos from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws combined. Beneath them you could just hear Jordan swear so badly the magical megaphone he was using crackled as Professor McGonagall must have tried to seize it from him.

'Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession –'

This had to be the dirtiest match I'd ever witnessed in my three years at Hogwarts. The Slytherins were taking any means necessary to block or put out of action the Gryffindor team using increasingly dirty tactics to try and stop our early lead continuing. Bole hit Alicia with his Beater's club and tried to claim he'd thought she was a Bludger; George had gotten Bole back by elbowing him in the face. Each team was awarded another penalty, Alicia easily scoring for us taking our score to forty points and Wood pulling off another spectacular save and stopping Warrington from scoring his penalty. It was forty points to ten and the game was far from being won. Katie next had the Quaffle and in seconds had scored once more. Fifty points to Gryffindor. Surely that must be enough for us to now win.

Our joy at Katie's goal was short lived. While Fred and George had been distracted circling her to make sure no Slytherin attacked her, Bole and Derrick had instead aimed both the Bludgers at Wood. The first hit him square in the stomach causing him to double over on his broomstick, the second hitting seconds later in the same place leaving him winded and clutching on to his broom's shaft. Madam Hooch was beside herself with rage.

' _You do not attack the Keeper unless the Quaffle is within the scoring area!_ ' she snapped at Bole and Derrick. 'Gryffindor penalty!'

 _I don't think I can take much more of this_ , I thought to myself, and I wasn't even playing in the match.

Angelina scored the penalty. Sixty-ten. Fred hit a Bludger straight at Warrington as he flew up the pitch to the Gryffindor goalposts. He dropped the Quaffle, Alicia catching it from below him and flying off in the opposite direction. She passed it to Katie, across to Angelina, back to Katie and back to Alicia. Alicia dodged Flint and Montague and threw the Quaffle. Bletchly dove to stop it but it soared through the right-hand goal. Seventy-ten to Gryffindor.

'Look!' someone screamed to my right. I followed where they were pointing. Harry had spotted something.

'Come on, Harry!' I shouted without even thinking. 'You can do it! Come on, Harry!'

Harry, flat to his Firebolt, shot directly upwards, my eyes just catching the golden glint that he must have spotted. It must've realised it had been seen as seconds later it was gone from my view but obviously not from Harry's. He flew as fast as he could after it, reaching out his hand to catch it and put an end to this game once and for all. But then to my horror I saw Harry's broom jerk. Flashbacks of his first ever match when Professor Quirrell had jixed Harry's broom came to my mind but I quickly saw that wasn't the case. Malfoy, who had been marking Harry closely throughout the match, had grabbed on to his Firebolt's tail and was dragging him down causing his broom to stall and lose its speed. I shouted my anger along with the rest of Gryffindor at Malfoy's actions but he had achieved what he wanted. The Snitch had gone.

'Penalty!' screamed Madam Hooch, flying over to Malfoy who was looking very pleased with himself. 'Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!'

'YOU CHEATING SCUM!' howled Jordan, dodging Professor McGonagall's attempts to take it away from him. 'YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B–'

I didn't hear what Jordan called Malfoy as my ears were pounding with the sounds of the cries of the students around me.

Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty but she overshot it and missed by several feet. The Slytherin teams tactics were working and it was causing the Gryffindor team to lose their concentration and start to retaliate and sink to their level of playing. And Malfoy's foul on Harry had only encouraged them to play even dirtier.

'Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal – Montague scores –' Boos rang through the stadium. 'Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor … Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!'

Angelina streaked up the pitch towards the Slytherin goals. Every single Slytherin player had abandoned their position, apart from Malfoy who was being closed guarded by Harry, and were descending upon her. She managed to swerve them once but they doubled back on her in seconds. Suddenly a shot of red burst through the group of Slytherins and they scattered, the path to the Slytherin goals cleared for Angelina to score. It had been Harry. He'd abandoned marking Malfoy and used himself as a human bullet to disperse the Slytherin players so Angelina could get through.

'SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES!' shouted Jordan. 'Gryffindor lead by eighty points to twenty!'

I watched as Harry shot above the stands where I was, turning his broom and skidding in mid-air to avoid going out of the stadium. I had never seen such concentration on his face; his green eyes were so focused it was like nothing could distract him from finding the Snitch now. I couldn't help but stare during that split second he was directly above me before he shot off back towards the centre of the pitch where Malfoy was hovering. Until he went into a dive. No! He couldn't have found the Snitch!

'Come on, Harry!' I shouted as loud as I could, hoping that he could hear me through all the noise. 'You can do it!'

I didn't know if a silence had fallen over the stadium as everyone's attention turned to the two Seekers or whether it was because I was so caught in the moment as I watched Harry and Malfoy fly after the Snitch neck and neck that I could no longer hear anything around me. I pushed myself through the Gryffindors in front of me so I was at the edge of stands to get a better view. Harry had caught up with Malfoy. Both were reaching out for the Snitch, which was barely inches in front of them. A Bludger narrowly missed Harry's head as he flattened himself against his broom. Harry and Malfoy were level, both reaching as far forwards as they could –

'YES!'

I screamed in joy as I saw Harry pull out of his dive with his hand raised high above him, the tiny golden ball clutched between his fingers and its wings still flapping hopelessly after being caught. Screams of elation and excitement soon filled the stadium as it trickled through the rest of the spectators that the match was over and the Snitch had been caught. Jordan's commentary was almost inaudible now through all the cheering but I just managed to make out the words "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!". Caught up in the atmosphere I ran with the rest of the Gryffindor students down to the pitch to congratulate the team. But the moment I saw Harry being raised on to the shoulders of the Gryffindor team, I stopped.

I stared at Harry as Wood handed Harry the House Cup, his face bearing a grin so large as he looked round at everyone cheering his name. I remained where I was, several feet away from the celebrations, my heart sinking in my chest as I realised I could not be part of this. I wanted to go congratulate Harry, to throw my arms around him and hug him so tightly, to tell him how proud I was of him, but I couldn't because to him, I was still the enemy. I hadn't yet proven Black was innocent and so Harry still wanted nothing to do with me. I sighed. I turned away from the cheering Gryffindors and began to walk out of the pitch, disheartened that I could not be part of Harry's win. But as I walked away, my look of sadness was replaced by a look of determination. Somehow, someway, I was going to prove to Harry that Black was innocent and clear his name. That was a promise.

My renewed determination to finally figure out what had happened that night twelve years ago seemed to light a spark in me I had never felt before. Almost like an obsession that couldn't be extinguished. The only thing that managed to push it to one side was the thought of exams. With June fast approaching all the teachers had piled the homework and lessons were now spent revising all that we had done over the course of the year. When I wasn't thinking about Black, I was thinking about my exams and spending more and more time in the library going over all my notes or I was out in the grounds practicing my wandwork and spells. Hermione, had we still been on speaking terms, would be proud of how much focus I had now and how hard I was working on these two very different tasks.

The only thing that did manage to distract me briefly from my goals was news about Buckbeak's appeal. Malfoy, who had been strangely quiet since Slytherin's epic defeat in the final Quidditch match last week, I had noticed was walking around looking strangely pleased about something. Curious as to what had got Malfoy in such a good mood I headed to the Transfiguration Courtyard after class anytime I could manage in the hopes of finding Daphne. The first few times I went there she was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until Friday lunchtime she finally appeared and I was able to ask her if she knew anything about Malfoy's sudden change in mood.

'I think it has something to do with that Hippogriff that attacked you,' Daphne told me. We sat facing away from each other with our backs to the tree trunk, our faces both buried in our textbooks so it didn't look like we were talking.

'About Buckbeak's appeal?' I questioned. I kept my eyes focused on my copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3_ though I wasn't taking in a single word in front of me. 'Did he say when it was?'

'Yeah, the sixth of June,' replied Daphne quietly. She fell silent when a group of fifth-years walked too close to where we were sat. 'From what he's bragged about, it sounds like the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures have already made up their minds. They're bringing an executioner with them to the appeal.'

I frowned. Thoughts of Black came to the forefront of my mind.

'Just like before,' I muttered. Daphne must have heard me as I heard her shift behind me.

'What d'you mean?'

'My Dad,' I replied. I surprised even myself; that was the first time I'd referred to Black as my father. 'He was sent to Azkaban without trial. No one ever found out if he actually _did_ what he was accused of.'

There was a brief silence, then Daphne asked, 'You still think he's innocent?'

My frown deepened as I thought through what to say.

'I believe it's possible,' I said. 'But the thing that could prove his innocence … I don't know where to find it …'

Pettigrew.

'Jenna, even if you found that evidence, it's too late,' said Daphne rationally. 'Black's as good as dead. You must've seen the _Prophet_. The Dementors can perform the Kiss on him the moment they find him.'

I closed my book and got up.

'Then I better find that evidence.'

Before I knew it, exams began and I was forced to push Black from my mind and stop the search I had started for Pettigrew. Being Lupin's niece had meant I had access to his office whenever I wanted to see him and because I knew he had the Marauder's Map, I had attempted several times since my conversation with Daphne to try and get a look at it long enough to see if Harry was right and Pettigrew's name would show up if he was somewhere in the castle or the grounds. Every time I'd tried, however, I'd had to abandon it because Lupin was very hard to distract. With exams now upon me, I gave up for now so that I could focus on them though Black remained there in the back of my mind.

The exams as a whole weren't actually that bad. I had been worried we'd be tested on things that I might of missed while revising or be set some task that was beyond our skills but nothing actually seemed too difficult. The only difficult part was the fact I was being forced to be near Harry, Ron and Hermione after weeks of being able to avoid them. Being at the top of the register, however, had its advantages; I was always one of the first called into the examination room to do any practical work and so I was always finished well before Hermione was called for hers and nowhere near either Harry or Ron, while any work that required us to be in the same room together meant I was sat nearer the front while they were at the back.

Despite this inconvenience, I remained focused. I managed to Transfigure my teapot almost completely into a tortoise although it still seemed to steam a bit; my Cheering Charm had just the right amount of strength to it to cause Millicent Bulstrode whom I'd been paired with (unfortunately) to crack a smile, not the most pleasant of things to witness while hers barely tickled a laugh out of me; the following day, I sat through my Care of Magical Creatures exam – we were charged with making sure our Flobberworms didn't die during the hour long exam – bored out of my mind and aimlessly drawing on some spare parchment as the Flobberworms were best left to their own devices; and Potions required us to brew a Confusing Concoction while Snape prowled around us, my determination to not let Snape get to me working in my favour as my potion thickened and bubbled away to the right consistency and colour. I couldn't help but notice the disgruntled look on Snape's face as I handed him my phial of potion at the end of the exam. He couldn't fail me as much as he might want to.

Over the course of the week I sat through the rest of my exams one by one. Astronomy, followed by History of Magic, and then Herbology. On Thursday morning was my second to last exam and admittedly the one I had been looking forward to: Defence Against the Dark Arts. I had expected us to be in a classroom like we had for all our other exams but when we arrived, Professor Lupin instructed us to leave our bags and only bring our wands, and to follow him down to the grounds. Curious, I did as he told us and followed along near the back of the crowd. When I saw what was waiting for us, I couldn't help but admire Professor Lupin's creativity. Set up in the middle of the Training Grounds was what looked like an obstacle course made up of several different environments, each, I could only guess, was playing host to one of the creatures Lupin had taught us about during the year.

'Before you,' Professor Lupin instructed us, 'is a series of challenges you must face, that will test you on some of the creatures you have learnt about this year. You must use your knowledge to identify the creature's strengths and weaknesses and defeat them before you can move on to the next. With each environment, the creature's difficulty increases. Only when you face your fears will you pass this exam.'

 _Face your fears?_ I thought. I glanced at Professor Lupin as he set Hannah going through the course. If that meant what I thought it meant, and Professor Lupin was giving us a clue, at the end of this course was a Boggart. I hadn't faced a Boggart since Christmas. I had no idea what mine would change into.

'Jenna, you're up!' called Professor Lupin.

I swallowed and gripped my wand. I walked over to the start of the course where Professor Lupin was waiting. I gave him a nervous look, hoping he'd recognise my concern over the final bit of the course. He must have as he gave me a reassuring smile in return. I faced the course and readied myself. Professor Lupin blew his whistle and my exam started.

I ran forwards right into the first obstacle. It was a large paddling pool full of murky water that reached all the way up to my knees. I looked around; the pool kind of resembled the lake, dark water for concealing the creature and loads of weeds and algae. I gripped my wand. There had to be a Grindylow lurking here somewhere. Carefully I moved forwards trying not to disturb the water. I was about halfway across when suddenly I felt something grab my ankle and I was pulled underwater. I fought against what had grabbed me but I couldn't shake it off. I opened my eyes, the water stinging them, and caught sight of the dirty-brown creature that was tugging at my sock and shoe. I pointed my wand at it and, without thinking about it, I released the breath I was holding and said a spell to break its grip.

' _Stupefy!_ ' I shouted, a stream of bubbles exploding from my mouth.

The red spark shot from my wand and hit the Grindylow square in the face. Stunned, I pulled my leg sharply downwards and broke its grip around my ankle. I then swam upwards as quick as I could before I lost all the air in my lungs. My head broke through the water's surface and I took a large breath, panting from the exertion. I really hoped the rest of the creatures weren't going to be as tough as that. I shook my wet hair out of my face and pushed myself to my feet. I mentally thanked Lupin for teaching me that spell; a third-year didn't normally know the Stunning Spell but I knew it for Lupin's transformations. Never had I been so glad I knew it as I don't somehow think drowning was part of the exam.

The next creature I faced were a pack of Red Caps, from what I could tell of the next environment. Deep potholes had been dug into the ground and there were large puddles of what looked like blood scattered around the area. Above me the area had been magically covered by dark clouds to help mimic an old battlefield. I lit my wand and proceeded forwards with caution. Red Caps struck sometimes deadly blows with their clubs if they managed to catch unsuspecting people off guard. Again, being Lupin's niece had its advantages as I could identify a creature by its habitat in a matter of moments. They must have sensed I was on guard as instead of attacking one by one in a barrage like they normally would, the Red Caps converged on me as a group to try and knock me out. I used the Disarming Charm to knock their clubs out of their hands then made a run for it for the other side of the area before they could recover them. You didn't attempt to fight an armed Red Cap, especially if they outnumbered you three to one.

I pulled back the curtain to the next area to be confronted by a thick mist. I climbed over the dividing wall and my feet were once again submerged in water. This time, however, it was more like a bog than a lake. That had to mean there was a Hinkypunk somewhere in here. Sure enough a small one-legged creature appeared from within the depths of the mist, a small light-bearing lantern held out in its hand and its blue, smoke-like body barely visible. I stood still, my eyes fixed upon its light. With its free hand it beckoned me to follow it. I tried to resist but I could feel my body being pulled under its magic. I felt myself take a step forwards, then another, then another. The Hinkypunk hopped off in the direction it wanted me to follow, the light being the beacon I followed.

'Come on, Jenna!'

'You can do it!'

'Come on!'

'Go for it, Jen!'

I looked round, the voices distracting me from looking at the Hinkypunk's light. I couldn't tell where they were coming from as I was deep in the mist but the sound of them was enough to bring me back. With its spell broken, the Hinkypunk let out a raspy cry. It swung its lantern overhead and aimed a fireball at me. I raised my wand and performed a Shield Charm, another spell Lupin had taught me to use during the full moons. An invisible barrier appeared in front of me and deflected the Hinkypunk's flame, a flash of fire illuminating where it had connected with the shield. With that dispelled, I used the Lighting Charm once again and used it to find the Hinkypunk. As soon as the beam of light from my wand hit the creature, the Hinkypunk screamed as its body solidified, rendering it incapable of attacking me. With that indisposed, I ran onwards until I found the exit to the area.

As soon as I stepped into the final area I knew my suspicions were right. This time separated by a series of curtains, the only thing before me was a large trunk. There had to be a Boggart inside. I took a deep breath then took a step forwards, prepared for whatever fear it was I was about to face. I kept my eyes on the trunk, searching for any sign of movement. The box was silent, still, not a single hint of life coming from it.

Then, in a move I completely missed, the lid of the trunk flew open and something came from its depths. Whatever it was surrounded me and I found myself in pitch black. I couldn't see anything. The curtains surrounding the area, the trunk that had housed the Boggart, the grass beneath my feet, all of it had vanished. I looked round desperately for a light within the darkness but there wasn't any. I was completely alone.

'Help!' I shouted. 'Someone help! Lupin, help me!'

I didn't know what fear it was the Boggart had zoned in on for me but whatever it had done had scared me and I could not recall a time I had felt more scared than now. All my thoughts and knowledge on how to defeat a Boggart left me as all I could think about was that I was trapped on my own and no one could hear my screams.

'Lupin, please!' I screamed again. 'Help me! Lupin!'

I looked around wildly, my eyes wide with fear. Lupin wasn't answering my screams. Could he even hear me? Did he know I was in trouble? I could feel my heart racing, my breathing was erratic, and a cold sweat was dripping down the back of my neck. All around me was darkness and with every passing second it seemed to get deeper, cutting me off from anyone who could help me. I stepped backwards and felt myself stumble to the ground. I swallowed; I had never felt so alone in my life, not even when I was an orphan.

All of a sudden it hit me. Loneliness. That was what the Boggart was representing. For the best part of the year I had been alone, since Harry, Ron and Hermione had found out about Black being my father, but I was so consumed with finding out the truth that I didn't even realise how it had affected me. How much I missed their company and their friendship. That's what this darkness was, the loneliness I felt without the others. But those voices earlier, the ones that had been cheering me on when I faced the Hinkypunk. One of them had shouted out "Jen" and only one person called me that.

'Harry,' I breathed.

Carefully I got to my feet. I looked round. The darkness seemed thick as ever despite me now knowing what it was. I raised my wand. That's when I noticed something. I could still see my wand. In fact, I could see my whole body. As if I was still being illuminated by something.

'Friendships,' I said to myself. I closed my eyes and tried to think back. Lupin had said something to me about relationships between people, whether friends or family, ages and ages ago. I had been upset at the thought of what Black had done murdering all those people and it had caused me to wonder if he'd ever loved me considering his choice to abandon me as a baby. If Mum had even known about Black's change of heart.

 _Just because Black didn't care for you, doesn't mean no one did,_ Lupin had told me. _The ones that love us never really leave us, even if we get separated. They will always be with us as long as we remember them._

'The ones that love us never really leave us,' I repeated to myself. 'That's why I can still see myself. Because people still care about me, even when I'm alone, so I'm never really truly alone as long as I remember them. That's it!'

I stood straight, raised my wand and said with as much strength as I could, ' _Riddikulus!_ '

All of a sudden the darkness around me seemed to be sucked away. There was a faint _pop_ and in the darkness' place stood one of those toys from my childhood with the Muggles at the orphanage, a little toy bunny that would do a back flip every so often. I let out a short laugh before I heard someone shout _Riddikulus_ behind me and the Boggart was sent back into its trunk. I looked round. It was Lupin.

'Jenna, are you all right?' he asked me. I could hear an edge of panic in his voice and his face looked concerned.

'How long was I in there?' I asked. I had lost all track of time from the moment the Boggart had surrounded me.

'You got through the first part of the course in just over five minutes,' said Professor Lupin. 'When you reached the Boggart, however, we heard a scream and then nothing. Whatever fear it had focused on created a barrier and I couldn't help you break it. You were shut off for quite some time.'

'It … it knows I fear being alone,' I mumbled. I looked away, my fringe covering my eyes. 'It just surrounded me in darkness. I screamed but no one could hear me.' I felt Lupin's hand on my shoulder. I looked back at him. 'Did I fail?'

Professor Lupin shook his head, 'Not at all. The time it takes you to complete the course has no effect on your mark. You did very well.'

I managed a small smile and nodded. Professor Lupin and I walked back round to start of the course and he sent Susan into the course now I'd finished it. I walked away from where the students were gathered waiting their turn and sat down on the grass. I took a few deep breaths to steady my nerves. I was just glad it was all over. When I looked up I saw I was being watched. Harry was looking in my direction, his eyes focused on where I was sat. I looked away, my hair falling forwards to hide my face. Even if he had shown concern for me while I was in there, even if he did still care about me despite hating who my father was, I knew he wouldn't be the first to swallow his pride and approach me. He was too stubborn to do that. And nor was I, even with the new knowledge I had of just how lonely I was without him and the others. I wasn't going to give up on Black before I had my answers.

I sat away from the class as I watched the rest of the year go through the exam. As I expected, Harry came out with a massive grin on his face after facing his Boggart which probably meant he'd easily defeated the Dementor it turned into when it saw him; Ron stumbled when he encountered the Hinkypunk and almost ended up stuck in the bog; as for Hermione, she had raced through her exam with almost no mistakes until she took on her Boggart. From what I could tell of her cries through the tears, it had turned into Professor McGonagall and told her she'd failed everything. It did amuse me slightly but I knew not to laugh. Hermione's fear of failure for all I know could have a deeper meaning than us thirteen-year-olds might know at this age.

I walked on my own back up to the castle once the last person in our year had gone through the course. Harry, Ron and Hermione were just ahead of me. One by one we filed back into the castle to await our final exams, which for me was to be Divination. As I turned the corner I noticed someone waiting in the Clock Tower Courtyard. It was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.

'Hello there, Harry!' Fudge called when he saw Harry. 'Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?'

Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped so Harry could talk to the Minister. I stopped too, just close enough so I could hear what was being said but not so close I could be noticed.

'Lovely day,' Fudge was saying. 'Pity … pity … I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad Hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in.'

'Does that mean the appeal's already happened?' asked Ron.

'No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon,' said Fudge, though he gave Ron a curious look.

'Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!' said Ron stubbornly. 'The Hippogriff might get off!'

Before Fudge could answer, three more wizards came out through the Clock Tower doors into the Courtyard. Two of them I didn't recognise whilst the third I did. Wearing the same disgruntled look that he had the last time I saw him, Edmund Farley stood there with his hands clasped behind his back; he must have been appointed to the case as he works in the Beast Division at the Ministry and was probably on the Committee. The second was a very wizened looking wizard who looked like he himself might drop down at any second. The final wizard in contrast was tall and lean, dressed completely in black from head to toe with most of his face obscured by his mask apart from his mouth above which he sported a thin black moustache. I presumed this man was the executioner. That and he was also carrying attached to his belt a hand axe which he was running his thumb over its blade. I guess executions were still carried out the old fashioned way.

The sight of the executioner all ready with his axe put me off eating any lunch and so instead I headed straight for the North Tower for my last exam. I dug out my copy of _Unfogging the Future_ and half-heartedly turned its pages as I waited for lunch to be over and to get this exam out of the way. Slowly the rest of the students in my Divination class appeared. Each of them was silent with what I presumed was both nerves at what to expect but also anticipation of getting their final exam done. Even Parvati and Lavender, whom usually never stopped talking about Divination, were strangely quiet. About ten minutes before lunch was over, Professor Trelawney appeared to tell us she would see us individually in alphabetical order so that we each got the opportunity to access our Inner Eyes in complete silence and concentration. I shook my head and rolled my actual eyes at this.

Harry and Ron were the last to appear. Shortly after their arrival the trapdoor to the Divination classroom opened once more and from within its depths I heard my name being called. I got up off the floor and walked towards the ladder that had now descended. To get to it I had to walk past where Harry and Ron were standing with Neville, Dean and Seamus. I felt my arm graze his as I reached for the ladder.

 _An old wooden house … people gathered, a haggard man confronting them … a man arrested in chains … someone escaping … a swarm of Dementors surrounding their target …_

I let out a small gasp, but not loud enough for anyone to notice. I opened my eyes and stared at the step of the ladder my foot was on. I blinked, not truly understanding the images I had just seen. I looked up when I heard my name being called a second time and climbed up the ladder. The heat of the room hit me instantly as the warm weather outside was combined with the overpowering fire burning in its grate. The smell of perfume made me wrinkle my nose it was so strong. Sat in the centre of the room at her chair was Professor Trelawney, a single table and chair set up in front of her. Upon the table sat a crystal ball and nothing more. I guess that meant our exam was to be on that. So much for all that revision I did on palmistry.

 _Great_ , I thought, _I'm going to be gazing into a load of smoke again._

'Good day, my dear,' said Professor Trelawney. She gestured for me to take the seat in front of her. I did so without a word. 'Your exam today is going to be based on your predictions from the crystal ball. Let your Inner Eye guide you and kindly gaze into the Orb … take your time and let the images come to you … then tell me what you see within it …'

Professor Trelawney fell silent and sat back in her chair to wait. My eyebrow arched. That was it? Stare into the crystal ball until I see something? Well this was going to be a "challenging" exam with guaranteed high marks. I frowned then turned my eyes to the Orb in front of me. I stared into it but all I could see was thick grey smoke. We sat in silence for quite some time as I struggled to find anything in amongst the wisps swirling inside the glass ball. Time was ticking by and I still hadn't said anything to get some sort of grade. I glanced at Professor Trelawney; she was scribbling something on to her clipboard. Ugh, I was going to fail if I didn't say something.

'I see …' I hesitated but it was too late. Professor Trelawney was looking at me. 'I see an old wooden house, on a hill,' I ventured. Having absolutely nothing to go on from the Orb, maybe what I saw in my head when I touched Harry wasn't a flashback for once but a flash-forward or something. 'I see … someone being confronted, friends becoming enemies. I see the Dementors. Hundreds of them swarming.'

'Indeed,' whispered Professor Trelawney. I frowned again. 'Could it be you are seeing the capture of Sirius Black?' she said dramatically. My eyes widened. Had that been what I'd seen? 'Look closer, my dear. Do you see what the outcome is? Do you see Black alive or do the Dementors capture him and perform …' she took a shuddered breath, '… their Kiss?'

I hesitated again. I had only caught a glimpse. I hadn't seen anything like that.

'I see a body,' I reply after a moment or two. 'Nothing more.'

Professor Trelawney seemed disappointed by my lack of clarity but nodded.

'Very well, my dear, we shall leave it there,' said Professor Trelawney, her tone heavy. 'Promising … but a lack of concise information on events you foresaw … I'm sure you tried …'

I got up, picked up my bag, and descended the ladder. I kept my eyes lowered when I got to the ground and walked off now my exam was over. I ignored the voices that called after me asking what the exam had required, instead heading straight for Lupin's office. I was spooked. What had I just seen? Did I really just see Black being captured? And the Dementors finally getting to perform their – I swallowed at the thought – their Kiss? But that wasn't the most disturbing thing. I knew that old wooden house. I knew where this was going to happen. It was the Shrieking Shack and judging by the surrounding area, it looked like it had to be close to this time of year. What I saw could take place in a matter of months, weeks – even days! – and so Black could be dead before I find Pettigrew.

I was outside Lupin's office before I knew it. I reached for the handle then stopped. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell Lupin I had possibly seen Black's demise. I had to keep it to myself and work as fast as I could to find Pettigrew. If that meant I had to ask Lupin to borrow the Marauder's Map then so be it. It was a risk I'd have to take. I sighed. I took the handle and twisted it, pushing the door open. I poked my head around it to see Lupin was sitting at his desk. It looked like he was marking papers or something.

'Hey,' I said quietly. Lupin looked up from the parchment in front of him.

'Jenna, finished your last exam?' he asked me. I nodded. I walked into his office and dumped my bag on the floor, then took a seat over by the wall. I swung my legs over the arm and pulled out my copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ ; it was my go to book after all if I needed to distract myself. I stared at its pages, all too aware that Lupin was staring at me. 'Is something wrong?'

'Besides having no friends?' I countered slightly tetchily to him.

Lupin sighed. He got up and, as he always did in situations like this, tapped his wand to his kettle to make a cup of tea.

'Have you tried talking to them about how you feel?' Lupin asked me.

'Like that did any good,' I muttered.

I turned the pages in my book until I'd reached the small paragraph on Animagi. Not being proper magical beasts, Newt Scamander hadn't dedicated much to the subject, only a brief outline on how to recognise an Animagus over a true beast. It was all to do with their distinct markings. Take McGonagall for example: one of her distinctive features as a human is that she's always wearing those square spectacles and she's known for giving misbehaving students very sharp looks; when she showed us her Animagus form, I saw that as a cat she had darker markings in her fur around her eyes that mimicked her glasses, the same square shape, and her eyes kept that similar piercing stare. That was how you could identify an Animagus, by looking for the human characteristics that are visible in their animal form. It was true even with werewolves. Lupin, whenever he transformed, retained his lean build in his wolf form and his grey fur was flecked with the same light brown colour his own hair was.

I felt something nudge my shoulder. I looked up. Lupin was holding out a mug of hot chocolate to me. I looked at him, expecting to see the same frustration on his face every time Black is mentioned. But I didn't. Instead he was giving me a sympathetic smile.

'Jenna, I know how hard this must be for you,' said Lupin quietly. He handed me the mug. I took it, cupping the warm ceramic in my hands. 'But don't you think you need to let it go? Even if there was evidence to prove Black was innocent, it's too late now. Black's sentenced to death the moment the Dementors find him.'

'Lupin, I've got to believe he's innocent,' I said firmly. Lupin gave me a curious look. 'Have you ever had that feeling when you know something's not right and yet everything tells you it is? That something just doesn't add up when everything else tells you it's true?' Lupin nodded. 'Well, that's what I have with this. Out of everything you've told me about him, all the stuff I read that Mum wrote about him, something just doesn't add up.'

'Jenna,' sighed Lupin. He stroked my hair then kissed my head. 'I'm sorry …'

I didn't go down to dinner that evening, instead having it up in Lupin's office with him. I sat silently in my chair in the corner reading my books as Lupin finished his various piles of parchment and marking that he had to get through before the end of the week. After an hour or so of work, Lupin sat back in his chair and put his quill down. He ran a hand over his tired face. I watched as Lupin flicked his wand at the various piles of parchment and they floated off to be filed away in their correct shelves and files. He then reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a familiar large piece of parchment.

'That's the Marauder's Map,' I said. I swung my legs off the arm of the chair and got up. I walked over to Lupin's desk. He had opened the Map out so it lay unfolded across the width of it and was muttering its activation spell so that the Map would appear. 'I like how it insulted Snape when he tried to read it. " _Mr Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business_ ",' I recited. 'Did you mean it to say that if Snape ever found the Map?'

'Very funny, Jenna,' said Lupin dryly, 'and certainly my teen-self would have been amused if Snape had read that. I, however, am not so much.'

Lupin flicked through the folds in the parchment until he'd found the section showing the grounds near Hagrid's Hut.

'What are you looking for?' I asked, curious.

'I have a feeling Harry, Ron and Hermione are going to attempt to see Hagrid tonight,' muttered Lupin, not looking away from the Map. His eyes were scanning all the nearby dots looking for their names. 'No doubt he's probably using the Invisibility Cloak –'

'You know about Harry's Cloak?' I asked, surprised.

'It belonged to James originally,' said Lupin dismissively. 'I used to see him disappear under it numerous times when we were at school together. And if I'm correct, Harry will be using it to get down to Hagrid's Hut. His Hippogriff is being executed, after all. Harry will want to comfort him.'

'Hang on, Buckbeak's definitely being executed?' I said. 'What about his appeal?'

'They lost,' said Lupin. 'Hagrid told us earlier this afternoon.' Lupin fell silent. He'd found the others on the Map. 'They've just gone into his Hut. Hopefully they'll leave before the Minister for Magic and the Committee get –'

Lupin stopped. I looked at him strangely.

'What? What is it?'

'Pettigrew …'

* * *

 **AN: This was originally meant to be the final chapter of Prisoner of Azkaban but it has turned into two chapters as I found myself going into more detail to develop Jenna's changing world such as her burgeoning friendship with Daphne, exposing her inner fear of loneliness as we didn't see her Boggart in the lesson, and how she deals with being separated from Harry. I hope you all enjoy the new developments and let me know what you think.**


	19. The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 18

The Dark Side of the Moon

Before Lupin could stop me I had run out of his office, back through the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and all the way down the stairs in the Dark Tower. Pettigrew was somewhere near Harry in the grounds. If I caught him, I could prove Black was innocent! I had to go find him! I didn't stop running until I was racing across the Clock Tower Courtyard and had reached the Stone Circle. I stopped at the edge of the hilltop so I could see Hagrid's Hut. Walking down the hill I saw Professor Dumbledore was approaching Hagrid's home and he wasn't alone. Cornelius Fudge and the executioner were with him. They must be going to execute Buckbeak now and if Pettigrew was somewhere in Hagrid's Hut there was no way I'd be able to get to him until they were gone. I looked around desperately trying to think of what I could do. Then it hit me.

I cleared my mind and transformed. I shook out my fur and stood straight on my paws, a wolf now standing where I had been seconds before. I took one last look at Hagrid's Hut then ran off around the edge of the castle so that I had a better vantage point. I ran to a more sheltered outcrop of rocks near the Whomping Willow and climbed up their rough surface. The higher I was, the better chance of capturing Pettigrew I had. I lay low to the rocks and waited, ready to strike the moment I caught sight of whichever rat it was that Pettigrew was hiding as. In the distance I heard a loud howl that did not come from any animal. It must've been Hagrid meaning Buckbeak must've been executed.

My ears twitched as I heard something nearby. Squeaking and something rustling. I lifted my nose and took a sniff of the air. I could smell four different scents, three I recognised but the fourth I didn't. And finally I saw it, the thing that had been missing all along in my mind. From out of nowhere in the grass appeared a very familiar rat. Scabbers.

 _Pettigrew transformed into a rat_ , I thought to myself. _Of course, Scabbers is Pettigrew!_

I got to my paws, careful to remain crouched out of sight. I had to wait until Pettigrew had run directly below where I was before I could grab him. He was almost there. My muscles tightened, ready to pounce. But before I could someone else had appeared. Ron had sprung out from the cover of the Invisibility Cloak – meaning Harry and Hermione had to be somewhere nearby – and dove at the ground to grab Scabbers. He caught the squealing rodent and clutched him to his chest, his leg kicking away another creature who had been watching the rat. Crookshanks. That could mean only one thing. If Crookshanks was here, then that big black dog was somewhere nearby too.

'Harry, you do realise what tree this is?'

I looked up when I heard Hermione's voice. She and Harry were now visible, no longer hiding beneath the Cloak. They were both standing at the edge of the castle and staring at where Ron was sprawled on the ground keeping Crookshanks away from Scabbers. Right at the foot of the Whomping Willow.

'Ron, run!' shouted Harry.

'Harry, Hermione, run!' Ron shouted back at them. He was pointing wildly at something behind them while Scabbers squealed and writhed in his hand. 'It's the Grim!'

I got to my feet to see what Ron was pointing at. That large black dog was back. The dog was back –!

 _It couldn't be_ , I thought to myself. _Could it?_

Its grey eyes were narrowed upon where Harry stood before it and it let out a vicious snarl. I saw Harry draw his wand but he wasn't quick enough. The dog leapt at him and its front paws hit him square in the chest pushing him to the ground. The force of its leap had carried it too far though and it skidded round on its paws ready for a second attack. It squared itself ready but wasn't aiming at Harry. Its eyes were focused on Ron who was still holding a frantically squealing Scabbers. Suddenly the dog made its move. Without thinking I leapt down from the rocks and landed in between the dog and Ron. I let out a deep growl and bared my teeth, halting the dog in its tracks. It was then I realised just how big the dog was. It towered over me in my wolfish form, it's paws twice as big as mine alone. I stood over Ron blocking him from the dog's attack but kept my head lowered and ears folded back to show that I wouldn't hesitate to attack.

 _You hurt him and I'll hurt you_ , I growled. Of course, only the dog would understand me if it really was what I thought it was. To Harry, Ron and Hermione all they'd hear are my threatening growls. The dog seemed to hesitate. It eyes took me in before it copied my stance and growled back at me.

 _Move or you'll get hurt as well!_ it snarled at me, snapping its large teeth. _I don't want to hurt you._

Behind me Ron scrambled to his feet. The dog saw this. He made to dart around me but I blocked him. We growled and snapped at each other, the dog attempting to bite me to get me to move. I dodged his attacks as best I could but he was too quick and managed to smack my muzzle with its large paw and knock me away. I let out a whimper as I hit the ground. I sat up and shook my head feeling dizzy from the impact. A few feet from me the dog made another lunge. Thinking it was going for Harry, Ron pushed him out of the way and the dog locked its jaws around Ron's outstretched arm. Its strength pulled Ron to the ground and it dragged him across the grass as if Ron was nothing more than a ragdoll. Harry attempted to stop it and grabbed a fistful of its fur, but it barely seemed to notice as it dragged Ron towards the Whomping Willow.

' _Lumos!_ '

A wand lit up just to my left. Its light illuminated the base of the Whomping Willow's trunk where the dog was dragging Ron backwards into a large gap in the roots. Ron did his best to fight against it but it was too strong. He hooked his leg around a root in a last attempt to stop the dog pulling him underground. Harry made to go after them but was stopped by a large branch that suddenly struck the ground where he'd been seconds before. A horrible crack ripped through the air that sounded like something breaking; Ron's leg must have broken. I sprung to my feet and darted for the tree, not caring that I jumped on Harry's back to get to them. I dodged a branch that swiped the ground by mere centimetres, then dodged a second, and reached the base of the tree, disappearing into the hole between its roots.

My paws skidded on the earthy slope when I landed and I slid to the base of a very dark tunnel. I was suddenly very thankful that wolves had good sight in the dark otherwise I would have crashed at the bottom. I got back up and looked around. I could hear Ron's pained yells coming from deeper in the tunnel while above I could hear the violent whipping branches of the Whomping Willow above me. No doubt Harry and Hermione were going to try and follow us. _Good luck getting through those_ , I thought to myself. I walked forwards a few paces and put my nose to the ground. From what I could smell of Ron and the dog's scents, there was only one way to go and that was forwards. As for where it led, there could only be one place: the Shrieking Shack. Steeling my nerves, I set off up the tunnel after Ron and the dog.

The tunnel was long and low. If I had been in my human form I would have had to be bent down so as not to hit my head on its roof. Every so often I smelt the ground to check that the dog and Ron hadn't turned off down an unseen passage. I kept walking on and on after them though I was unsure what I would do when I reached them. Confront Black? Try and protect Ron as best I could in this form until Harry and Hermione got there? Hope that Lupin had kept watching the Map and knew we were in trouble? I had no idea. Finally after what felt like a very long walk the tunnel began to rise; it then twisted sharply to the right and a mound of dirt sat at the base of a small opening. There was a dim light coming through the crack in what looked like a trapdoor. That had to be how Lupin used to get into the Shrieking Shack.

I climbed on to the mound and stood on my back paws so I could push the trapdoor open with my front ones. It opened up into a deserted and very dusty room. I hauled myself out of the tunnel and stood straight. I looked around the room, my tail causing the dust to stir as it swayed behind me. The room was dark as all the windows were boarded up and there were no lights at all. Paper was peeling off the walls that had long deep gashes scratched into them; there were stains all over the floor from blood that had dried many years ago; the furniture that had been set up here had been smashed into pieces, bits of broken wood lying splintered on the floor; everything was covered in a layer of dust from years of disuse apart from a single shiny strip that had been made by something being dragged through the room. I put my nose to it. One sniff told me it was fresh blood. My eyes followed the trail. To my right was the only door in and out of the room, which lead to a shadowy hallway where the trail disappeared.

Slowly I crept across the floorboards into the hallway. My ear twitched. I could just hear a faint moan coming from upstairs. It had to be Ron. Another voice told him to sit down or he'd cause himself more injury; that had to be Black. I padded silently across the hallway and started up the stairs when I suddenly hesitated. This was it. I was finally going to see my father for the first time. Certainly not the way I had imagined our reunion. I swallowed my nerves and continued upstairs. There was only one door open on this floor. I crouched low and approached it. I peered through a broken slat in the door. I could just see Ron leaning against the foot of an old broken bed; his leg stuck out at a strange angle and blood had soaked through his trousers, clearly broken. I couldn't see Black though.

I got to my paws once more to enter the room when I heard something stir below me. A wand light appeared at the foot of the stairs and I heard a voice speak.

'Ghosts didn't do that,' said Harry.

Quickly I backed into the shadows of the landing and hid beneath a nearby side table. The stairs creaked as Harry and Hermione ascended them, their wand lights passing over the floor in front of them. When they reached the landing the lights were extinguished. Next moment Harry strode forwards and kicked open the door separating him from Black. He and Hermione ran inside the room. I crept out of my hiding place and hurried over to the door, stopping it with my paw before it slammed shut. I watched as Harry and Hermione rushed to Ron's side.

'Ron – are you OK?'

'Where's the dog?'

'Not a dog,' moaned Ron. 'Harry, it's a trap –'

'What –'

' _He's the dog … he's an Animagus …_ '

From out of the shadows behind the door stepped Black. If I had been in my human form I would have gasped at the sight. He looked nothing like the man in the photos with my Mum. His neat black hair was thick and matted with dirt, and hung lankly round his face reaching down to his elbows. His grey eyes, once full of laughter, were darkened liked the skin was around them and shone out of their sockets. His waxy skin was stretched so slightly over the bones of his previously handsome face, he looked almost skeletal. His yellowed teeth were bared in an almost mad grin. I had been right though; that dog had been Black. That's why he'd been so familiar to me, because I must have seen that dog before when I was a baby all that time ago. In his hand I saw he had Ron's wand.

' _Expelliarmus!_ ' croaked Black.

Harry and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands and were caught by Black. Black then took a step closer, his eyes observing Harry very closely.

'I thought you'd come and help your friend,' said Black, his voice hoarse from years of not being used. 'Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful … it will make everything much easier …'

The mention of Harry's father must have riled Harry as he suddenly lunged at Black. Hermione and Ron both grabbed his arms to hold him back while Black barely reacted to Harry's anger. Hermione looked positively terrified while what little colour had left Ron's face from the effort it took to stand up.

'No, Harry!' hissed Hermione frantically.

'If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too!' said Ron weakly.

Black's eyes flickered. He glanced at Ron.

'Lie down,' he said quietly. 'You will damage that leg even more.'

'Did you hear me?' said Ron, his voice even more strained. 'You'll have to kill all three of us!'

'There'll only be one murder here tonight,' said Black. His grin widened.

'Why's that?' spat Harry. He pulled against Ron and Hermione's grip but they wouldn't let go. 'Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew … What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?'

'Harry!' whimpered Hermione. 'Be quiet!'

'HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!' bellowed Harry.

With a huge effort Harry broke free from Ron and Hermione's restraint and ran at Black. Instantly I leapt from behind the door and jumped in front of Harry to stop him from reaching Black. I'm not sure what made me do it but something compelled me to act. I couldn't let Harry hurt him, nor could I let Black hurt Harry. I bent low and arched my back as I growled at Harry in warning, my teeth bared and my fur on end once more. Harry stopped in his tracks. Black also stepped back from me. Both stared at the wolf before them, unsure whose side it was on having gone from defending Ron from the dog to defending Black from Harry. Behind Harry, Hermione had rushed to Ron's side and was helping him back on to the bed. They two stared at me warily. I looked between the three of them then stood straight and stopped growling. Well, it had been a good secret while I'd kept it. I cleared my thoughts and allowed my body to transform back to my normal self. I shook out my hair once I was back to human form then looked straight at Harry, unmoving from my position between him and Black.

-o-

'HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!' bellowed Harry.

With a huge effort Harry broke free from Ron and Hermione's restraint and ran at Black. The door suddenly burst open and from the shadows of the hallway leapt the wolf from before. It darted in front of Harry and faced him, positioning itself between him and Black so that Black could not be reached. It stood with its paws spread wide and its back arched. It let out a vicious growl and bared its teeth at Harry, almost daring him to attempt to get at Black. Harry hesitated; behind the wolf Black too took a step back from it, surprised by the creature's change of allegiance. Its fur, a stone grey with strange markings of black and reddish-brown along its back, stood on end while its tail hung still between its back legs. That's when Harry noticed its eyes. They were blue, a blue Harry recognised.

The wolf carefully eyed Harry then Ron and Hermione behind him. It stopped growling and ran its tongue over its muzzle before standing straight. It blinked. Then, in one smooth movement, the wolf stood straight and vanished before them, being replaced by a very familiar face. Jenna shook out her long hair and opened her eyes, having now revealed herself to be the wolf that had stopped him from getting to Black and had protected Ron from him earlier, and looked straight at Harry. Harry stared back at her, a strange pain going through his chest at the sight of his best friend now defending the man who had killed his parents.

Behind her, Black felt his heart jump at the sight of the girl now standing in front of him; he'd always hoped his daughter would take after Tala, and there before him was the proof having finally got a proper look at her. He stared unblinkingly at her profile as she protected him from Harry. The same face shape, the same long glossy hair, the same kind determined blue eyes, even her actions of defending him when she didn't even know him, all the things that Black recognised from his teenage love. There was no doubt about it. This was his daughter.

-o-

'Get out of the way, Jenna,' said Harry slowly. I swallowed and shook my head, standing my ground.

'No,' I said defiantly, 'not until you listen to me.'

Harry glared at me, anger clearly visible on his face. I thought remaining calm would be enough to deter Harry from continuing his attack on Black long enough for me to be able to reason with him but I was wrong. Harry lunged at me and pushed me out of the way. I fell against the wall, Black now open to his attack.

'Harry, stop!' I shouted desperately.

Black, caught by surprise by Harry's attack, failed to raise the wands in his hand in time to defend himself. Harry threw the full weight of his thirteen year old self against him. His hand grabbed Black's withered wrist and managed to force the wandtips away from him while his other punched Black hard in the side of his face. They fell backwards against the wall, Black crumpling on the ground with Harry struggling to stand up over him. Hermione screamed for Harry to stop while Ron yelled at Harry to watch out as sparks flew from the three wands in Black's hand, missing Harry's face by mere centimetres. Black tried to push Harry off him, his hand circling Harry's throat. I forced myself back to my feet and ran over to them, my hands grabbing Harry's upper arms and pulling him back to stop him from hitting Black any more.

'No,' he hissed. 'I've waited too long –'

From nowhere Hermione's foot swung at Black and kicked Black hard in the gut. He let out a grunt of pain and released Harry. With Harry free I pulled him back as best I could away from Black. Ron, meanwhile, had regained enough strength to launch himself at Black and attempt to grab the wands in his hand. He knocked them out of his grasp, the three wands rolling across the floor away from them. Seeing his wand was free Harry threw me off him once more and dove for his wand only to be stopped by Crookshanks who had sunk his front claws into Harry's arm.

'NO YOU DON'T!' roared Harry and he kicked out at Crookshanks. The cat leapt into the air, hissing and spitting. Harry grabbed his wand and spun round, pointing it at Black. 'Get out of the way!' he shouted at Ron and Hermione.

I remained were I was, staring at the sight before me. Hermione, lip bleeding and breathing heavily, hurried out the way and grabbed hers and Ron's wands; Ron heaved himself back over to the four-poster bed and collapsed on it, his face white with pain. Black lay where he was on the floor, his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath. His eyes didn't leave Harry standing over him as he approached him, his wand pointed straight at Black's heart.

'Going to kill me, Harry?' Black asked quietly.

'You killed my parents,' said Harry. His voice was shaking. His wand, however, was still.

'I don't deny it,' replied Black. 'But if you knew the whole story –'

'The whole story?' repeated Harry. 'You sold them to Voldemort, that's all I need to know!'

'Harry, please,' I begged. 'Listen to him!'

'The girl's right,' said Black. He spat the trickle of blood that had dripped into his mouth from his bleeding nose. 'You've got to listen to me. You'll regret it if you don't … you don't understand …'

'I understand a lot better than you think,' said Harry, his voice shaking even more. 'You never heard her, did you? My Mum … trying to stop Voldemort killing me … and you did that … you did it …'

A streak of ginger ran past Harry. Crookshanks leapt on to Black's chest and positioned himself in a way that would block any attack Harry attempted. He glared up at Harry, his squashed face contorted. Hermione gave a dry sob at the sight. Black blinked and looked down at the cat.

'Get off,' he muttered. He tried to push Crookshanks off him but the cat wouldn't budge.

Harry raised his wand once more. The seconds ticked by and yet … he didn't attack. I watched, my heart in my throat, as Harry just stood there with his wand pointed at Black but did nothing. Suddenly the sound of muffled footsteps came from below. Someone else had entered the Shrieking Shack.

'WE'RE UP HERE!' screamed Hermione. 'WE'RE UP HERE – SIRIUS BLACK – _QUICK_!'

Black made a startled movement at the sound of Hermione's shout for help. Whoever it was must have heard her as the footsteps got louder as whoever it was ran up the stairs. The door burst open in a shower of red sparks. Harry wheeled round, his attention broken. I gasped in relief. Lupin ran into the room, wand raised and ready, and took in the sight before him. His eyes flicked from me on the floor in the corner, to Hermione and Ron by the bed and Ron's broken leg, to Harry with his wand pointing at Black, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.

' _Expelliarmus!_ ' shouted Lupin.

Harry's wand flew out of his hand as did the two in Hermione's. Lupin caught them then raised his own once more but not at them. Lupin walked slowly into the room, his wand on Black. He stared at the ragged form of his former friend, his eyes observing the sight before him.

'Well, well, Sirius,' said Lupin quietly, 'looking rather ragged, aren't we. Finally the flesh reflects the madness within.'

'Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?' countered Black. I was almost taken aback by Black's calm response. Though clearly a dig, it was almost as if … he was joking with Lupin.

Lupin didn't react to Black's comment.

'Where is he, Sirius?' asked Lupin, his voice calm and steady.

Black's face remained neutral but he seemed to know exactly what Lupin meant. At first he didn't move. Then, very slowly, he raised his hand and pointed it straight at Ron. While the others were baffled by Black's answer, I knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't pointing at Ron but pointing at something Ron had. Scabbers.

'But then …' muttered Lupin, glancing at Ron then back at Black, '… why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless –' Lupin's eyes caught mine; I nodded, '– unless _he_ was the one … unless you switched … without telling me?'

Slowly, Black nodded. A wave of relief rushed over me. I had been right! And now Lupin finally believed what I'd been telling him for the past year.

'Professor Lupin,' Harry started, 'what's going –?'

Harry's question remained unasked as what he saw next must've shocked him to his core. Lupin lowered his wand and approached Black. He held out his hand to Black who took it and was pulled to his feet. A silent acknowledgement passed between them as the two old friends forgave each other and they embraced like the brothers they were.

'I DON'T BELIEVE IT!' screamed Hermione. I looked at her startled by her outburst. Lupin let go of Black and turned to see her pointing wildly at him, her eyes wide in shock. 'You – you –'

'Hermione –'

'– you and him!'

'Hermione, calm down –'

'I didn't tell anyone!' she shrieked. 'I've been covering up for you –'

'Hermione, don't do this –' I pleaded, dread consuming me once more.

'Hermione, listen to me, please!' shouted Lupin. 'I can explain –'

'I trusted you,' shouted Harry; he took looked as hurt and as angry as Hermione did, 'and all this time you've been his friend!'

'You're wrong,' said Lupin. 'I haven't been Sirius' friend for twelve years, but I am now … let me explain …'

'NO!' screamed Hermione. 'Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – _he's a werewolf!_ '

A ringing silence followed Hermione's exposition of Lupin's secret. I stared at Hermione, shocked by her actions when she of all people I thought would be someone who wouldn't be prejudice to someone like Lupin who couldn't help who he was. Eventually I broke it.

'Hermione,' I breathed, 'you promised …'

'Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione,' said Lupin calmly, although his complexion had paled. 'Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead …' A shiver crossed Lupin's face. 'But I won't deny that I am a werewolf.'

'Lupin!' I got up and ran over to him. I grabbed on to the front of his robes and looked pleading at him.

'No, it's all right, Jenna,' said Lupin. 'It's time they knew.'

By the bed Ron attempted to stand but fell back from the pain in his leg. Concerned, Lupin made towards him but Ron rebuffed his gesture.

' _Get away from me, werewolf!_ '

I stared at my friends, shocked by their reactions. It hurt so much to see them turn against a man they all once admired just because they'd found out what he was. Lupin stopped in his tracks. I watched as he swallowed his disappointment at their reactions then forced himself to face Hermione.

'How long have you known?'

'Ages,' whispered Hermione. 'Since I did Professor Snape's essay …'

'He'll be delighted,' said Lupin coolly. 'He set that essay hoping someone would realise what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realise that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realise that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?'

'Both,' replied Hermione. 'You're just lucky Jenna made me promise not to tell anyone.'

Lupin forced a laugh as he glanced at me.

'You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione.'

'I'm not,' said Hermione. 'If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!'

'Then why didn't you?' asked Lupin curiously. 'What made you keep your promise?'

'Because,' Hermione hesitated. She glanced at me. 'Because Jenna swore that you would never hurt Harry …' I stared back at Hermione and nodded, confirming her statement. 'But still,' she continued, her voice regaining her confidence, 'people have the right to know what you are!'

'But they already know,' said Lupin. 'At least, the staff do.'

'Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?' gasped Ron. 'Is he mad?'

'Some of the staff thought so,' said Lupin. 'He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy –'

'AND HE WAS WRONG!' yelled Harry. 'YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!' Harry shouted, pointing at Black.

'I have _not_ been helping Sirius,' said Lupin firmly. 'If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain –'

'Lupin,' I interrupted, pulling the sleeve of his robe, 'Lupin, don't do this,' I whispered. 'Please, don't –'

'Jenna, calm down,' said Lupin. He looked at me. 'You don't need to protect me anymore. It's going to be all right.' He then turned to the others. 'Look –' He separated Harry, Ron and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner. 'There. You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?'

'If you haven't been helping him,' said Harry cautiously, glancing angrily at Black, 'how did you know he was here?'

'The Map,' answered Lupin. 'The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it –'

'You know how to work it?' said Harry suspiciously.

'Of course I know how to work it,' said Lupin, waving an impatient hand. 'I helped write it. I'm Moony – that was my friends' nickname for me at school.'

'You _wrote_ –?'

'The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?'

Lupin began to pace as he spoke, keeping his eyes on Harry, Ron and Hermione closely.

'You might have been wearing your father's old Cloak, Harry –'

'How d'you know about the Cloak?'

'The number of times I saw James disappearing under it …' said Lupin, waving his hand again to dismiss Harry's question. 'The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak you show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's Hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back towards the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else.'

'What?' said Harry. 'No we weren't!'

'I couldn't believe my eyes,' said Lupin, still pacing back and forth. 'I thought the Map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?'

'No one was with us!' said Harry.

'And then I saw another dot, moving fast towards you, labelled Sirius Black … I saw him collide with you and knock another one of you away, I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow –'

'One of us!' said Ron angrily.

'No, Ron,' said Lupin. 'Two of you.'

Finally Lupin stopped pacing. He turned and faced Ron.

'Do you think I could have a look at the rat?' he said evenly.

'What?' said Ron. 'What's Scabbers got to do with it?'

'Everything,' said Lupin. 'Could I see him, please?'

Ron hesitated. Then, slowly, he reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out Scabbers. The rat thrashed and squealed in fear as Ron took hold of his tail to stop him from escaping again. Across the room Crookshanks let out a soft hiss. Lupin stepped closer to Ron and bent down to get a better look at Scabbers.

'What?' said Ron again. 'What's my rat got to do with anything?'

'That's not a rat,' croaked Black, who until now had been silent.

'What d'you mean – of course he's a rat –'

'No, he's not,' confirmed Lupin. 'He's a wizard.'

'An Animagus,' said Black, 'by the name of Peter Pettigrew.'

It seemed to take a few moments for this new information to sink in. Well, I guess if you thought about it, it was pretty absurd; a thirty-three-year-old wizard hiding as a rat for twelve years for some unknown reason. Then again they had also just witnessed me transform from a wolf in front of them and yet this they were struggling with. Harry, Ron and Hermione were staring at Lupin as if to question his sanity and the validity of his statement. Black was still eyeing up Scabbers with murderous intent clear in his eyes. Scabbers was squealing in Ron's grip making every attempt to break free.

'You're both mental,' said Ron finally.

'Ridiculous!' agreed Hermione.

'Peter Pettigrew's dead!' said Harry. 'He killed him twelve years ago!'

Harry pointed at Black. Black's face twitched.

'I meant to,' he growled, his yellowed teeth visible, 'but little Peter got the better of me … not this time, though!'

Black lunged at Scabbers, Crookshanks leaping out of the way as he threw his weight on to the bed, right on top of Ron's broken leg. Ron yelled in agony but managed to keep Scabbers out of Black's reach. Lupin grabbed hold of Black's shoulders and dragged him back from them.

'Sirius, NO!' he shouted, getting a firm grip on Black around his chest. He pulled him away from bed to the other side of the room. 'WAIT! You can't do it just like that – they need to understand – we've got to explain –'

'We can explain afterwards!' snarled Black. He tried to throw Lupin off but his weakened frame meant that Lupin was able to keep a firm grip on him. He clawed at the air trying to reach for Scabbers like a rabid dog would scratch at any cage it might get trapped in.

'They've – got – a – right – to – know – everything!' insisted Lupin. Black jerked forwards in his arms but Lupin still held on to him. 'Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! Harry – you owe Harry the truth, Sirius! And your daughter!' Something must have stirred in Black's head at Lupin's words. He broke free of Lupin's grip with a sudden burst of strength and backed away from him. He stared at Lupin, his anger momentarily replaced by shock and something else which I couldn't quite identify. 'Your daughter,' repeated Lupin. 'You owe it to your daughter.'

I swallowed, watching Black carefully for his reaction. His grey eyes seemed to cloud over almost as if he was torn by Lupin's words. Torn between getting his revenge and the thought of his lost child. I wasn't even sure if he knew that that lost child was standing right in front of him and I didn't dare say anything.

'I've waited …' breathed Black, suppressed anger audible in his voice, 'for years, I've waited …'

'I know, but you've got to wait just that little bit longer,' said Lupin calmly but it would not placate him.

'I did my waiting!' bellowed Black. 'Twelve years of it in Azkaban! You of all people know how much I lost!'

I stared at Black. Was he talking about James and Lily? Or was he talking about … me?

'They have the right to know why,' repeated Lupin firmly. 'You owe them.'

Black stared at Lupin, his eyes narrowed, as Lupin stared back at him resolute in his opinion. Finally Black relented.

'All right, then,' said Black. He looked away from Lupin, returning his gaze to Scabbers in Ron's hands. 'Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for.'

'You're nutters, both of you,' said Ron. He looked at Harry and Hermione for support. 'I've had enough of this. I'm off.'

Ron made to get up but Lupin pointed his wand at Scabbers to stop him.

'You're going to hear me out, Ron,' he said quietly. 'Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen.'

'HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!' yelled Ron.

He tried to take a step forwards while also forcing Scabbers back into his front pocket and overbalanced. Harry just managed to catch him before he fell on to his damaged leg. He moaned in pain as Harry helped him back on to the bed. With Ron safely back on the bed, Harry turned to Lupin.

'There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die,' said Harry. 'A whole street full of them …'

'They didn't see what they thought they saw!' snapped Black.

'Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter,' confirmed Lupin. 'I believed it myself – until I saw the Map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies … Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry.'

Harry and Ron shared a look. Then, to my surprise, Harry looked at me. It was as if he was trying to ask me a silent question: were they telling the truth? While I couldn't vouch for Black, I knew Lupin wouldn't lie and he knew everything that I did. I, however, didn't react. I hadn't managed to convince Harry so far. I knew I wouldn't be able to convince him now. He had to hear it from Lupin and Black.

'But Professor Lupin …' said Hermione, her voice shaking. I looked at her. 'Scabbers can't be Pettigrew … it just can't be true, you know it can't …'

'Why can't it be true?' asked Lupin calmly. It was almost like we were back in the classroom, and Hermione was questioning something Lupin was trying to teach us.

'Because … because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus,' said Hermione. 'We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework – the Ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things … and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list –'

'Right again, Hermione!' laughed Lupin. 'But the Ministry never knew that there used to be four unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts, nor that one still does today.' Lupin looked very pointedly at me standing beside him. I glanced at him, then looked at the other three and nodded. 'Jenna inherited a rather rare gift that allows her to shape-shift into any animal of her choice. You may have noticed the wolf from before had black and red tufts of fur exactly like Jenna's hair? They are one of her particular markings that appear whenever she transforms. There was another just like her at Hogwarts along with three other Animagi, back when I was at school.'

'If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus,' snapped Black impatiently. 'I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer.'

'All right … but you'll need to help me, Sirius,' said Lupin, 'I only know how it began …'

A loud creak came from the door behind where I stood. I looked round. It swayed independently on its hinges. There was nothing there though. Beside me, Lupin approached the door with his wand raised. He peered out of it into the landing, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. It was strange. The door couldn't have opened on its own accord but there was no sign of anything that could have done so.

'No one there …' murmured Lupin.

'This place is haunted!' said Ron.

'It's not,' said Lupin, his eyes still examining the door. 'The Shrieking Shack was never haunted … the screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me.'

Lupin pushed back his hair and turned away from the door.

'That's where all of this starts – with my becoming a werewolf,' said Lupin heavily. 'None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten … and if I hadn't been so foolhardy …'

I looked at Lupin. I'd never seen him look this distressed before. He never had told me what happened when he got bitten. I only knew various details from what Granddad had told me. A sharp "Ssh" from the opposite side of the room told me Hermione had shushed someone to stop them from interrupting.

'I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, they even separated my younger sister and me to stop her from getting bitten too, but in those days there was no cure. The Potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. I keep my mind when I transform … I am able to curl up in my office with Jenna's wolf form as company, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.'

Hermione sent a startled look in my direction while the boys stared at me. I guess now they knew why I'd appear with random scratches every so often. Hermione was clearly questioning the safety of me being with Lupin when he was transformed. If I was correct, Lupin was going to get to that.

'Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully-fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children to be exposed to me.

'But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that, as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school …' Lupin sighed. He then looked at Harry. 'I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted _because_ I had come to Hogwarts. This house –' Lupin gazed miserably around the dilapidated wooden shack, '– the tunnel that leads to it – they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous.

'My transformations in those days were – were terrible,' continued Lupin. 'It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumour … even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it …

'But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black … Peter Pettigrew … and, of course, your father, Harry – James Potter. A year later, my younger sister also joined the school and we were reunited after being apart for over a year, much to our joy. Nothing could be better.

'Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month, nor that my sister would get random scratches without any explanation of how she got them. I'm sure you three must have seen the same with Jenna,' he added. 'I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her … I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth …'

'And they didn't desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. When they heard about how my sister would stubbornly join me during the full moon using her own gift to protect her, they came up with a plan to do so too. They became Animagi.'

'My Dad, too?' said Harry, surprised.

'Yes, indeed,' said Lupin, a smile almost appearing on his face. 'It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong – one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.'

'But how did that help you?' said Hermione, confused. 'How does – Jenna help you?'

'They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals,' said Lupin. 'A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak and followed my sister, transformed into a cat so as to go by unnoticed by others, as a guide to make sure they didn't get caught. They transformed … Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them.'

'Hurry up, Remus,' snarled Black. He was clearly getting nettled with how long this was taking but by the sounds of it, there was a lot that Lupin needed to tell us for us to completely understand the situation.

'I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there,' retorted Lupin, again in that almost bickering tone they had shared earlier. 'Well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius, James and Tala transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did … And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with out nicknames, although Tala chose not to include her nickname, Hooves. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs.'

'What sort of animal –' Harry began to ask but Hermione cut him off with her own question.

'That was still really dangerous!' she gasped. 'Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?'

'A thought that still haunts me,' admitted Lupin. 'As much as my sister was experienced in tracking my movements, especially when in her own wolf form, without Sirius and James's strength, she wasn't always able to keep control of me on her own even as a horse. And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless – carried away with out own cleverness.

'I sometimes feel guilt about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course … he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other Headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed … even leading my niece to do the same …'

I stared at Lupin. I never knew Lupin had felt so guilty about this. None of this was his fault. James, Black and Pettigrew had made the decision themselves to help him through his transformations and become Animagi, just like my Mum decided to be there for her brother and use her gift to be with him. Just like I had done so too. None of this was on his shoulders.

Lupin's face had hardened and I could see the self-disgust on it.

'All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me … and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and gave me a job, when I have been shunned all of my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am when I had a child to provide for. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using Dark Arts he learnt from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it … so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along.'

'Snape?' repeated Black harshly. For the first time since Lupin had started his story, he looked away from Scabbers. He stared at Lupin, confused. 'What's Snape got to do with it?'

'He's here, Sirius,' said Lupin. 'He's teaching here as well.'

I didn't understand. How did Black know Snape? I mean, I knew they knew each other because I knew about the prank James had pulled on Snape that had led to him and my Mum almost being killed, but that could have happened at any point. How did they know each other? Harry, Ron and Hermione were as confused as I was.

'Professor Snape was at school with us,' answered Lupin. 'He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons … you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me –'

Black snorted.

'It served him right,' he sneered. 'Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to … hoping he could get us expelled …'

'Need I remind you that same trick almost killed Tala too?' said Lupin quietly. Black's glare suddenly changed to be replaced by a wave of what looked like guilt. He turned away from Lupin, focusing his attention back on Scabbers.

'I know …'

'Severus was very interested in where I went every month,' Lupin told us. 'We were in the same year, you know, and we – er – didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch pitch … anyway, Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me towards the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be – er – amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree-trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it – if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf – but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life as the only person there who could protect them both was Tala … Snape glimpsed me and my sister, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden to tell anybody by Dumbledore, but from that time on he knew what we were …'

'So that's why Snape doesn't like you,' said Harry slowly, 'because he thought you were in on the joke?'

'That's right,' sneered a cold voice from the wall behind where Lupin and I stood.

I span round to see Snape appear from nowhere, pulling off Harry's Invisibility Cloak and revealing himself. That must have been what had made the door move earlier! Snape had snuck into the Shrieking Shack without us knowing because he'd been using Harry's Cloak. A look of pure hatred was in his black eyes as he stared at Lupin and levelled his wand directly at Lupin's chest. I felt my blood run cold. Hermione scream. Harry and Ron both jumped in surprise. Black also leapt to his feet beside Lupin. Lupin instantly pushed me behind him.

'I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow,' said Snape, throwing the Cloak to one side. He didn't, however, remove his wand from pointing at Lupin's chest. 'Very useful, Potter, I thank you …'

I swallowed, scared at what was going to happen. I glanced between Snape and Lupin, worried for Lupin's safety and at the thought of Snape attempting to get revenge for a grudge he'd held for many years. Snape didn't seem like the sort of man who would let something like that go so easily. He stood there, breathless in his glee that he'd managed to corner two men from his youth who'd been continual thorns in his side. While I didn't doubt Black might have had something to do with the reason Snape hated them so much, I found it hard to believe Lupin would have done anything to directly antagonise Snape.

'You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?' said Snape, his black eyes glinting with triumph. 'I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did … lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight.'

'Severus –' Lupin began but Snape overrode him.

'I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout –'

'Severus, you're making a mistake,' said Lupin, his tone urgent. 'You haven't heard everything – I can explain – Sirius is not here to kill Harry –'

'Two more for Azkaban tonight,' said Snape. I held in a gasp at the almost gleeful note in his normally measured voice as he mentioned Azkaban. No, he couldn't, he couldn't' take Lupin away from me. I felt Lupin's grip tighten on my arms as he felt me shake in fear. 'I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this … he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin … a _tame_ werewolf …'

'Brilliant, Snape,' hissed Black. He stepped round Lupin and in front of Snape. 'Once again, you've put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and as usual come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to.'

Snape's face twitched. In one quick motion he moved his wand so that its tip dug into Black's neck. I jumped, Lupin merely tightening his grip on me even more.

'I could do it, you know,' Snape sneered. 'I could do it right here and now …'

'Don't be a fool, Severus,' said Lupin quietly.

'He can't help it, it's habit by now,' spat Black.

'Sirius, be quiet –' Lupin warned him.

'Oh, go bite yourself, Remus!' snapped Black.

'Listen to you two, quarrelling like an old married couple,' said Snape, a hint of amusement in his voice.

'Why don't you run along and play with your potion set,' growled Black. Snape's glare darkened. He pushed the tip of his wand harder into Black's neck, causing Black to flinch.

'I could do it,' repeated Snape slowly, 'but why deny it the Dementors? They're so longing to see you.'

'You fool,' repeated Lupin quietly. 'Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?'

BANG. I screamed when I felt Lupin push me back from him. Ropes like snakes shot out of Snape's wand and wrapped themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles causing him to fall to the ground, bound and gagged.

'Lupin!' I screamed. I ran forwards to help him only to stop when I saw Snape had now turned his wand on me.

'One more move, and I'll personally make sure you're expelled for helping a werewolf and a murderer.'

I froze. Malice flashed in Black's grey eyes like never before and he lunged at Snape.

'How dare you threaten her!' Black bellowed at Snape, his voice deadly. I stared at him. He was … defending me? Black's attack was easily countered, however, as once again Snape pointed his wand back into Black's throat, stopping him in his tracks. The anger remained though.

'Give me a reason, I beg you,' Snape whispered. 'Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.'

I stared between Snape and Black from where I was crouched beside Lupin. Fear was rushing through my body like I'd never felt before. I couldn't think of anything that could be done to help the situation and all I could think of were images of Lupin being dragged to Azkaban and taken away from me.

'Professor Snape,' said a timid voice behind me. I looked round. It was Hermione. 'It – it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?'

'Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school,' spat Snape. 'You, Potter and Weasley are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, _hold your tongue_.'

'But if – if there _was_ a mistake –'

'KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!' shouted Snape. A series of small sparks shot from his wand, grazing Black's neck. 'DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!'

Hermione fell silent. Snape turned back to Black.

'Vengeance is very sweet,' breathed Snape. 'How I hoped I would be the one to catch you …'

'The jokes on you again, Severus,' retorted Black. 'As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle –' he jerked his head at Ron, '– I'll come quietly …'

'Up to the castle?' repeated Snape. His thin lips twisted into a smile. 'I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black … pleased enough to give you a little Kiss, I daresay …'

I felt my face whitened at the thought of the Dementors performing their Kiss on Black. What little colour there was left in Black's face too vanished.

'Do I detect a flicker of fear? Oh yes, the Dementors Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness but I'll do my best.'

'You've – you've got to hear me out,' said Black. 'The rat – look at the rat –'

Something told me Snape was beyond reason and there would be no way to convince him to hear Black out.

'Come on, all of you,' he said. Snape clicked his fingers. The ends of the ropes binding Lupin flew into his hands. 'I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him, too –'

'No!' I shouted. Before I could stop myself, I jumped forwards so I stood in front of Lupin, protecting him from Snape like he protected me earlier. 'Lupin – he hasn't done anything! He –'

'You are already treading on very thin ice, Miss Black,' said Snape, glaring at me. 'Do not make the situation worse for yourself. You are facing expulsion from this school for being in the company of Black and this werewolf as well as for the use of illegal self-transfiguration in breaking several school rules including being out of bounds. You will be back home in an orphanage in no time and you will be lucky, dare I say it, to be taken in by another wizarding family if someone should make it known who your relatives are and _what you are_.'

I flushed. He couldn't! I didn't want to go back to another orphanage! He couldn't take Lupin away from me!

'Get out of the way, Potter.' I looked up to see Harry was blocking the doorway so Snape couldn't get through it. 'You're in enough trouble already,' snarled Snape. 'If I hadn't been here to save your skin –'

'Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year,' said Harry. 'I've been alone with him loads of times, having defence lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?'

'Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works,' hissed Snape. 'Get out of the way, Potter.'

'YOU'RE PATHETIC!' yelled Harry. 'JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN –'

'SILENCE!' bellowed Snape. 'I WILL NOT BE SPOEKN TO LIKE THAT!' He glared at Harry, undeniable hatred evident in his eyes. 'Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck, you should be thanking me on bended knee, you and your pathetic half-breed friend!'

I stared at Snape, unable to believe what he'd just said. I mean, I'd always known what I was, that I was a half-breed in the eyes of anyone who had prejudice against people like Lupin – like me – but to actually be called it and by a teacher, someone who I was meant to look up to and trust, I was shocked. And it hurt. It hurt being called those words. Half-breed. It made me feel like I wasn't even human. It made me sad, like how I felt when I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione's reactions earlier to Lupin being a werewolf, and it made me angry.

'You would have been served well if he'd killed you!' continued Snape. 'You'd have both died like your parents, too arrogant and blind to believe you might be mistaken by Black – now get out of the way, or I will _make_ you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!'

' _Expelliarmus!_ '

The words came from my lips without a second thought as I drew my wand and aimed it directly at Snape. And I wasn't the only one. Harry too had raised his wand at Snape and shouted the same spell. So had Ron and Hermione. The power of our four spells combined hit Snape like a bullet square in the chest. He was thrown backwards off his feet and slammed into the wall behind him. From beneath his greasy black hair a small trickle of blood ran down his forehead. He had been knocked unconscious. Across the room I could hear Hermione already panicking about the fact we had attacked Snape. I didn't care.

'We attacked a teacher … we attacked a teacher … Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble …'

'You shouldn't have done that,' Black was saying. 'You should have left him to me …'

I remained where I was, panting slightly from the sudden rush of adrenaline, before I remembered Lupin was still tied up on the floor. I quickly turned to him and attempted to pull the ropes off him. Something took my hand. I looked up. Black was knelt beside me. I looked nervously at him as he looked back at me, before Black released Lupin's binds. Lupin pushed the ropes off him and got back to his feet, rubbing his wrists. Instantly I hugged him, glad as he was all right. Lupin hugged me back, holding me close. He then turned to Harry, grateful for his actions.

'Thank you, Harry,' said Lupin.

'I'm still not saying I believe you,' Harry retorted.

'Then it's time we offered you some proof,' said Black firmly. 'You, boy – give me Peter. Now.'

Ron gaped at Black, holding Scabbers closer to him.

'Come off it,' he said weakly. 'Are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on _Scabbers_? I mean …' he looked desperate at Harry and Hermione. 'OK, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat – there are millions of rats – how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?'

'You know, Sirius, that's a fair question,' said Lupin, sending a frown in Black's direction. 'How _did_ you find out where he was?'

Black reached a hand into the pocket of his tattered prison robes and pulled out an old piece of paper. He unfolded it and flattened it out then handed it to Lupin. It was a clipping from the _Daily Prophet_. I stared at it, recognising the photograph he was showing us. It was the one of Ron and his family that had been in the _Prophet_ last summer, from their holiday to Egypt. There stood the seven Weasley children and their parents, beaming out at us, and perched upon Ron's shoulder was Scabbers.

'How did you get this?' asked Lupin, astounded.

'Fudge,' replied Black. 'When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page … on this boy's shoulder … I knew him at once … how many times has I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts … to where Harry was …'

'My God,' breathed Lupin. He had been examining the photo very closely. 'His front paw …'

'What about it?' demanded Ron.

'He's got a toe missing,' said Black.

'Of course,' said Lupin, 'so simple … so _brilliant_ … He cut it off himself?'

'Just before he transformed,' confirmed Black. 'When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself – and sped down into the sewer with the other rats …'

'Didn't you ever hear, Ron?' said Lupin. 'The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger.'

'Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something!' said Ron desperately. 'He's been in my family for ages, right –'

'Twelve years, in fact,' said Lupin. 'Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?'

'We – we've been taking good care of him!'

'Not looking too good at the moment though, is he?' said Lupin. 'I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again …'

I thought through Lupin's words. And he was right. Scabbers had been looking ill since last summer. When we went to Diagon Alley and we went to Magical Menagerie to get something for him. Black escaped just before Ron and his family had come back from Egypt so by the time we'd met up in Diagon Alley he would have heard Black had escaped and started to fall ill. It all added up.

'He's been scared of that mad cat!' said Ron. He nodded at Crookshanks, whom had been crouched on the bed beside Ron keeping a close eye on Scabbers throughout this.

'This cat isn't made,' said Black. He reached out and gently scratched Crookshanks behind the ear. 'He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognised Peter for what he was straight away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me …'

'What do you mean?' asked Hermione.

'He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't … so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me … As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table …'

 _Neville_ , I thought. _So he hadn't lost them!_

'But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it … this cat – Crookshanks, did you call him? – told me Peter had left blood on the sheets … I suppose he bit himself … well, faking his own death had worked once …'

'And why did he fake his death?' said Harry suddenly. His anger seemed to have returned after being calm enough to take on Snape and stop him from taking Black and Lupin to the Dementors. 'Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!'

I sent Harry an irritated look. Had he not listened to anything that had just been said?

'No,' said Lupin. 'Harry –'

'And now you've come to finish him off!'

'Yes, I have,' said Black. He sent a dark glare in Scabbers's direction.

'Then I should've let Snape take you!' shouted Harry.

'Harry,' said Lupin quickly, 'don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down – but it was the other way around, don't you see? _Peter_ betrayed your mother and father – Sirius tracked _Peter_ down –'

'THAT'S NOT TRUE!' shouted Harry, pointing at Black. 'HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP, HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!'

Something stirred in me at Harry's words. Something in his voice, it wasn't as confident as before regardless of how much he shouted. Cautiously I stepped away from Lupin towards Harry, my eyes not leaving his.

'You don't believe that, Harry,' I said quietly, speaking for the first time since just before Snape got knocked out. 'I know you don't.'

Harry stared at me. His glare had softened just slightly and it looked like I was getting through to him. No one knew Harry like I did, after all, and I knew something in him was telling him that Lupin and Black were telling the truth. He looked at me with a mixture of anger, disbelief and uncertainty, as if he wanted me to tell him whether or not they were telling the truth.

'How can you still defend him?' Harry hissed at me. 'He admitted it. You heard him!'

I swallowed, then said, 'Because Pettigrew was one of the Death Eaters who killed my mother.' At my words, Harry's eyes widened, the anger finally dissipating from his face. He knew I wouldn't lie about something to do with my Mum. 'He betrayed the Marauders long before he betrayed your parents, the day my mother died.'

'Jenna …' breathed Harry, 'I –'

'Harry …' Harry and I looked away from each other when Black spoke, 'I as good as killed them,' croaked Black. 'I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as the Secret-Keeper instead of me … I'm to blame, I know it … the night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies – I realised what Peter must have done. What I'd done.'

Black's voice broke and he looked away. I stared at him. He looked so broken, nothing like the madman who'd been in the papers. This was a man who'd lost everything he'd cared about in one night: his best friends. And then to add salt to an already open wound, his daughter vanished the same night, leaving him with absolutely nothing but a desire for revenge on the person who'd been responsible.

'Enough of this,' said Lupin abruptly. I jumped, surprised by his tone. I'd never heard Lupin sound so cold before. 'There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, _give me that rat_.'

'What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?' asked Ron.

'Force him to show himself,' replied Lupin. 'If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him.'

Ron still didn't seem convinced, but finally, he relented and held Scabbers out for Lupin to take. The rat squealed and wriggled in a last desperate attempt to escape. Lupin took hold of him around the scruff of its neck.

'Ready, Sirius?'

Black was more than ready, having already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He aimed it at Scabbers as Lupin held him out, his own wand pointing at him as well.

'Together?' said Black quietly.

'I think so,' agreed Lupin. 'On the count of three. One – two – THREE!'

A bright blue-white light burst from both wands and consumed Scabbers when they hit its body. For a moment Scabbers appeared frozen in midair, his body floating there still. Suddenly it started to twist and writhe. Ron yelled, worried for the welfare of his pet. But I knew the spell wasn't hurting him. Lupin had used the same spell on me before to force me back into human form whenever I got into trouble while transforming. All it was doing was forcing Scabbers to revert to his natural _human_ form. There was another flash of light and sure enough, the rat vanished, it's body growing to that of a fully-grown adult man.

I stared unfazed at the revealing of Peter Pettigrew. Crookshanks hissed and spat at the sight of him. Harry, Ron and Hermione stared in shock. Pettigrew continued to cower for a couple seconds longer as he had done in his rat form before he finally looked around, realising he was no longer a rat. He was a short man, much shorter than either Lupin or Black and barely taller than Harry, and he bore an uncanny resemblance to the rat he'd previously been. His hair shared the same dirty brown of Scabbers's fur and had a very prominent bald patch spreading on the back of his head; his blue eyes were watery but darted around in a similar way to a rat's scanning its environment; it was obvious he'd lost a lot of weight from his shrunken appearance and his clothes were filthy from years of being worn under his transformed state; even his fingernails and pointed face resembled Scabbers's claws and nose. Pettigrew stared bewildered at all of us, his breathing fast and shallow, before his eyes darted towards the door.

'Well, hello, Peter,' said Lupin mildly. It was as if Pettigrew had only just arrived, not having been a rat seconds previously. Lupin always did have the ability to stay calm in the strangest of situations. 'Long time, no see.'

'S-Sirius … R-Remus …' squeaked Pettigrew. It was quite unnerving just how much Pettigrew resembled Scabbers in human form. 'My friends … my old friends …'

Black made to raise his wand but Lupin seized his wrist and sent him a warning look. He then turned back to Pettigrew.

'We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed –'

'Remus,' gasped Pettigrew, 'you don't believe him, do you … He tried to kill me, Remus …'

'So we've heard,' said Lupin. His voice had turned colder, less restrained as usual. 'I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so –'

'He's come to try and kill me again!' Pettigrew shrieked suddenly. Beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead as he pointed wildly in Black's direction. I saw he used his middle finger to point with, his index finger missing from his right hand. 'He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me, too … you've got to help me, Remus …'

Black glared at Pettigrew, a look of a mixture of disgust and pure loathing.

'No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out,' said Lupin.

'Sorted things out?' repeated Pettigrew. I watched as his eyes darted back and forth between Lupin and Black, the boarded up windows, and the door. He was desperately trying to look for a way out but he couldn't see one. A part of me wished I'd transformed again into my wolf form so that I could stop him if he did try to transform back into a rat, my wolfish reactions fast enough to catch an escaping rodent. 'I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!'

'You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?' said Lupin. His brow furrowed. 'When nobody has ever done it before?'

'He's got Dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!' squeaked Pettigrew. 'How else did he get out of there? I suppose He Who Must Not Be Named taught him a few tricks!'

Suddenly Black laughed.

'Voldemort, teach me tricks?' laughed Black loudly. Pettigrew flinched. 'What, scared to hear your old master's name?' asked Black mockingly. 'I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?'

'Don't know – what you mean, Sirius –' stuttered Pettigrew.

'You haven't been hiding from _me_ for twelve years,' snarled Black. 'You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter … they all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them … I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information … and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways … If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter –'

'Don't know … what you're talking about …' said Peter again, more frantic than ever. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his dirty sleeve. 'You don't believe this – this madness, Remus –'

'I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat,' mused Lupin.

'Innocent, but scared!' exclaimed Peter. 'If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban – the spy, Sirius Black!'

Black's face darkened.

'How dare you,' he growled, his voice deadly. It made him sound exactly like the dog from before, its low bark deep and booming. 'I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter – I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us … me and Remus … and James …'

'Me, a spy … must be out of your mind … never … don't know how you can say such a –'

'Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it,' hissed Black so viciously it made Pettigrew take a step back from him. 'I thought it was the perfect plan … a bluff … Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you … it must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand them the Potters. No doubt after you helped corner and hand him my wife!' bellowed Black.

'I never – this is ridiculous –' stuttered Pettigrew. 'Far-fetched stories – completely lunacy – Remus –!'

Pettigrew turned to Lupin for support. Lupin, however, was set in his decision.

'I'm sorry, Peter,' he said calmly, raising his wand, 'but I'm with Sirius on this one. You wronged me the moment I found out you were involved in my sister's death.'

'Professor Lupin?'

I looked round, surprised to hear Hermione speak. Lupin also looked at her.

'Can – can I say something?'

'Certainly, Hermione.'

'Well – Scabbers – I mean, this – this man – he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You Know Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?'

'There!' shouted Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his injured hand. 'Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?'

'I'll tell you why,' snarled Black. 'Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained his strength, and it was safe to rejoin him …'

Pettigrew gaped. He attempted to say something but every time he tried, words failed him.

'Er – Mr Black – Sirius?' continued Hermione. Black jumped, surprised at being addressed like that. So did I for that matter. I wouldn't have thought Hermione would be the first or brave enough to call Black by his name. 'If you don't mind me asking, how – how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?'

'Thank you!' gasped Pettigrew. 'Exactly! Precisely what I –'

Lupin silenced him with a single look. Black meanwhile was thinking through Hermione's question.

'I don't know how I did it,' said Black slowly. 'I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me … but it kept me sane and knowing who I am … helped me keep my powers … so when it all became … too much … I could transform in my cell … become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know …' Black swallowed. 'They feel their way towards people by sensing their emotions … they could tell that my feelings were less – less human, less complex when I was a dog and so didn't affect me … like they didn't when I saw this girl as a wolf in the grounds …' Black pointed at me. I gave him a startled look. I knew when he meant. That day Harry had found out Black was my dad and I'd had to sneak back into the castle grounds as a wolf. 'But they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand …

'But then I saw Peter in that picture … I realised he was at Hogwarts with Harry … perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again … ready to strike the moment he could be sure of allies … to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honours …

'So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive …'

'That's right,' I breathed. Black glanced at me. 'Mr Weasley said you were heard muttering only one thing in your cell … _He's at Hogwarts_ … You didn't mean Harry, though. You meant Pettigrew.'

A smile almost came to Black's face. He nodded in confirmation.

'It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it … it wasn't a happy feeling … it was an obsession … but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog … it's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused … I was thin, very thin … thin enough to slip through the bars … I swam as a dog back to the mainland … I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog … I've been living in the Forest ever since … except when I come to watch the Quidditch, of course … you fly as well as your father did, Harry …' Black glanced at Harry, again that almost smile still there. 'Believe me,' finished Black. 'Believe me. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them.'

I watched Harry, concerned about what his reaction might be now Black had finished his story. My throat was dry and my heart racing from fear at what he would do. Harry stared at Black, his eyes focused upon the wasted man before him. Finally, he nodded. Relief washed over me and I let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Harry believed him.

'NO!' shrieked Pettigrew. He fell to his knees, eyes streaming with tears. He crawled forwards on his knees, his hands clasped together, and begged his former friends to reconsider.

'Sirius – it's me … it's Peter … your friend … you wouldn't …'

Black kicked out at Pettigrew. He fell back, panic wide in his eyes.

'There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them,' Black sneered down at him.

'Remus!' Pettigrew then squeaked. 'You don't believe this … Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?'

'Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,' said Lupin. He glanced towards Black. 'I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?'

'Forgive me, Remus,' said Black.

'Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,' said Lupin. 'And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing _you_ were the spy? And …' Lupin paused, closing his eyes, 'and about Tala?'

Black stood there silent for a moment, then said, 'Of course.'

My heart lifted. Finally a smile came to my face. Pettigrew had been exposed; Black had been cleared of his crimes; and Harry had finally been told the truth about what had happened that night twelve years ago. It looked like everything was going to be OK.

'Shall we kill him together?' Black then said, rolling up his sleeves.

'Yes, I think so,' agreed Lupin grimly.

My smile vanished the moment Black said that. No, he couldn't! We hadn't just spent the last hour standing here fighting to clear Black's name nor had I spent the last year trying to figure out what had happened just to have Black _and_ Lupin commit the original murder Black was imprisoned for. They couldn't kill Pettigrew! He had to be given to the Dementors if there was any chance of clearing Black's name once and for all.

'You wouldn't … you won't …' gasped Pettigrew, his hysteria growing worse by the second. He scrambled over to Ron, begging for mercy once more. 'Ron … haven't I been a good friend … a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you … you're on my side, aren't you?'

Ron stared at Pettigrew with pure disgust on his face.

'I let you sleep in my _bed_!' he said.

'Kind boy … kind master …' begged Pettigrew, 'you won't let them do it … I was your rat … I was a good pet …'

'If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter,' commented Black.

Seeing he had no support from Ron, Pettigrew looked wildly around, his eyes finding Hermione. Again he crawled forwards and began to beg her for help, grabbing at her clothes.

'Sweet girl … clever girl … you – you won't let them … help me …'

Hermione too backed away from Pettigrew's reach. In a last attempt for mercy, Pettigrew turned to Harry.

'Harry … Harry … you look just like your father … just like him …'

Instantly Black blocked Harry from Pettigrew's reach.

'HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?' roared Black. 'HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?'

'Harry,' begged Pettigrew again. 'Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed … James would have understood, Harry … he would have shown me mercy …'

Black and Lupin strode forwards and seized Pettigrew under the arms. The dragged him back away from Harry and threw him down to the floor. He cowered at their feet, again his rat-ish side clear in his human form. They kept their wands on him so he couldn't escape.

'You sold Lily and James to Voldemort,' said Black. 'Do you deny it?'

'Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done?' wept Pettigrew, tears steaming down his filthy face. It was almost unpleasant to watch, a grown man bawling like a child. 'The Dark Lord … you have no idea … he has weapons you can't imagine … I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen … He Who Must Not Be Named forced me –'

'DON'T LIE!' bellowed Black. 'YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!'

'He – he was taking over everywhere!' gasped Pettigrew. 'Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?'

'What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?' repeated Black, fury shaking him. 'Only innocent lives, Peter! Did you even stop to think what would happen when you told him of James and Lily's whereabouts? Or when you handed Tala to him?'

'You don't understand!' whined Pettigrew. 'He – he wanted them for their skills! I didn't mean for him to kill them! You don't understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!'

'THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!' roared Black. 'DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!'

'You should have realised,' Lupin continued, his voice much more controlled than Black's. 'If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter.'

'NO!'

Harry and I both ran forwards, Harry standing in front of Peter while I stood in front of Lupin, both of us stopping him and Black. I couldn't let them do it. I couldn't let them commit murder.

'You can't kill him,' said Harry. 'You can't.'

Black and Lupin stared at us. I stared resolutely in Lupin's eyes, hoping he would know why I was stopping him as much as I had every reason to hate Pettigrew too. He watched me silently then sighed.

'Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents,' said Black coldly. 'This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family.'

'I know what he is,' said Harry. 'We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban … just don't kill him.'

'Harry!' breathed Pettigrew wetly. He flung his arms round Harry's knees. 'You – thank you – it's more than I deserve – thank you –'

'Get off me,' spat Harry, jumping back from him. 'I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers – just for you – nor would my friend want her father and uncle becoming ones either …'

Harry looked at me when he said this. I stared back, thankful for his actions. I then looked back at Lupin. I looked at him pleadingly, my eyes begging him not to do it. Behind us Pettigrew wheezed and whimpered as he cowered at our feet. Black and Lupin shared a look, neither liking the situation, but nonetheless they lowered their wands.

'You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry,' admitted Black. 'But think … think what he did …'

'He can go to Azkaban,' repeated Harry. 'If anyone deserves that place, he does …'

'Very well,' said Lupin. 'Stand aside, Harry.' Lupin gestured his wand for me to move as well. I did so, stepping back away from them. Harry, however, was still hesitant. 'I'm going to tie him up,' said Lupin. 'That's all, I swear.'

With Lupin's assurance, Harry moved aside so that Pettigrew could be tied up. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand and wrapped themselves round Pettigrew's arms, body and wrists and he was lying on the floor bound and gagged as Lupin had been previously.

'But if you transform, Peter,' said Black warningly, 'we _will_ kill you. You agree, Harry?'

Harry took one last look at Pettigrew and nodded.

'Right,' said Lupin. His tone had changed once more, now almost business-like as he attempted to sort out the mess before him. 'Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the Hospital Wing.'

With a simple tap of his wand, bandages spun their way round Ron's leg and the piece of wood Lupin had held against it, strapping it tightly in a splint. The relief that spread on Ron's face told me that was more than enough to make the pain more bearable until we were back up at the castle.

'That's better,' he breathed. 'Thanks.'

'What about Professor Snape?' asked Hermione nervously.

'There's nothing seriously wrong with him,' said Lupin. He bent over the unconscious form of our teacher and checked his pulse. 'You were just a little – over enthusiastic. Still out cold. Er – perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this … _Mobilicorpus_ …'

Snape's body lifted off the bed and hung in midair under the power of Lupin's spell. He looked like some grotesque Muggle puppet, hanging limply by invisible strings with Lupin as his puppeteer. With Snape moveable, Lupin picked up Harry's Invisibility Cloak and put it safely into the pocket of his robes.

'And two of us should be chained to this,' said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his foot. 'Just to make sure.'

'I'll do it,' said Lupin instantly. I frowned but didn't attempt to object.

'And me,' said Ron tersely. He clearly was still nettled that his former pet rat had been a murderer all this time.

Black conjured some heavy black manacles into his empty hand. He got Pettigrew to his feet then attached one of the manacles to his left arm, connecting the other end to Lupin's right arm; he then attached the second manacle to Pettigrew's right arm and to Ron's left. I didn't like the idea of either Ron or Lupin being chained to him but Ron's face was set and I knew I couldn't changed Lupin's mind. With Pettigrew secure, Crookshanks leapt off the bed and led the way out of the room and back downstairs to the tunnel entrance. One by one we followed him with our wands lit to return back to the castle.

I had to admit in the three years I'd been at Hogwarts this was the strangest company I'd ever kept. Being the least injured (both Harry and Hermione had various cuts from trying to get past the Whomping Willow earlier) I followed after Crookshanks, my wand tip illuminating the tunnel ahead of us as Crookshanks led the way; behind me were Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron shackled together, hobbling along in some strange six-legged form; next came Snape's unconscious form being levitated by his own wand and controlled by Black though a part of me had the suspicion that Black was not trying to be too careful to stop Snape from hitting the edges of the tunnel; and at the rear were Harry and Hermione, both carefully watching the group in front of them. After a long walk we reached the slope leading us back out of the tunnel into the castle grounds. Crookshanks climbed up first. I waited for the sound of the Whomping Willow's branches to stop meaning they had been frozen by Crookshanks pressing down on the knot in the roots. When I was sure they had stopped, I climbed out the hole. The sight of Hogwarts before me gave me a renewed feeling of hope that soon this would all be over and I'd finally have my dad back.

I stood back from the Willow's base to allow for the others to get out the hole. I watched as Black emerged after Snape, Harry and Hermione behind them. I saw Harry had a grin on his face for some reason. I looked at Black to see he too was smiling for some reason. I hesitated. A part of me wanted to go up to Black and ask him about the daughter he'd lost, to tell him that I was that child and reveal myself to him at last. But I didn't have the nerve. I mean, how could I just turn around and tell a man I'd just met under really bad circumstances that I was his child?

I made to lead the group away from the Whomping Willow and around the edge of the castle. The grounds were dark, the night sky littered with thick clouds, the only light coming from the castle windows above us or from our wands. I thought I was still walking alone and the others were just behind me when I heard footsteps catch up to mine. Nervously I glanced through the strands of my long hair to see Black had joined me.

'I want to thank you for defending me back there,' said Black quietly. I stopped walking and turned so I could see him properly. 'You showed real bravery, as reckless as it was, defending a murderer. But I must ask, why did you do it?'

'I did it because I had to,' I replied. I looked away. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, knowing what I knew. 'I couldn't let him hurt you.'

Black watched me carefully, then said, 'I believe there's more to it than that. You're name's Jenna, is it?' I nodded. 'Remus said that you can transform into animals. That's a very rare gift to have.'

'I inherited it from my Mum,' I muttered.

'She must be very proud of you,' said Black, 'to have gained such control over such a rare talent.'

I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lupin had noticed Black talking to me. He gave me a cautious look before dragging Pettigrew onwards, his wand still pointing at the traitor and with a sharp warning about making an escape attempt, and Ron hobbling behind. Harry and Hermione also past us. I looked away when I thought I saw Harry glance in my direction. Although he knew the truth now, he still hadn't said anything to me in regards to whether or not he forgave me for my behaviour this year even though he could no longer blame me for anything I'd done.

'I guess, I never really got the chance to find out.' Black's eyebrows arched in curiosity. 'My Mum – she died thirteen years ago when I was a baby. I never really knew her.'

'What about your father?' persisted Black.

I swallowed again. I just couldn't say it. How could I tell a man I didn't even know that I was his daughter? I couldn't physically say it.

'He – he was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit,' I eventually stuttered, trying desperately to keep calm. 'He was charged with the murder of his best friends and was sent to Azkaban without trial.' Finally I braved looking at Black. I was waiting for the moment Black would deny it and claim otherwise. 'Tala Lupin was my Mum and she was married to Sirius Black.'

Black watched me closely, his face still emotionless. I closed my eyes and looked away.

'When I was at school, I knew a girl just like you,' said Black slowly. I took in a sharp breath and looked up. 'The same strange gift, the same reckless bravery. It was what inspired my friends and I to become Animagi, to help her brother. She died thirteen years ago too, the same night I lost my wife. A year later when James and Lily were murdered, I also lost my daughter. I named her Jennifer … but my wife insisted on calling her Jenna.'

I held my breath. I didn't dare hope that he was saying what I thought he was saying. We stared at each other, neither of us saying a word. Then –

'I've been waiting for this moment for twelve years …'

I couldn't help the tears that were suddenly streaming down my cheeks or the smile that suddenly appeared on my face. Without a second's hesitation I threw my arms around Black's neck in a hug as he did the same, wrapping his protectively around my small frame. I couldn't believe it. I'd finally got my Dad back! I was so overcome with happiness that words left me and I couldn't speak for the following few minutes, just crying silently with my face buried into his shoulder. After a few moments I regained enough control to let go of Black – my Dad – and he held me at arm's length.

'You look so like your mother,' said Sirius, his eyes looking me up and down. Gently he touched my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears. It felt rough on my skin but comforting all the same. 'I still can't believe you're alive, after all these years. I thought I'd lost you forever.' The smile that had been on Dad's face faded slightly. 'I'm so sorry, about everything,' he then said. 'I never meant to abandon you, nor did I want you to think I was a murderer. Harry must have hated you when he found out who I was.'

'I worked out the truth,' I breathed. 'Mum's diaries, something about them just told me that you wouldn't have done what they said you'd done. And yeah,' I glanced at Harry ahead of us. He was whispering quietly to Hermione beside him. 'Harry and I … we've barely spoken since Christmas, when he found out who you were and I admitted I thought you could be innocent. But I didn't stop trying to find a way to convince him, or Lupin, that something wasn't right and that you had to be innocent.'

'Your mother wouldn't have stopped at anything either,' said Sirius. 'I see you've inherited more than just her looks and abilities. You have her recklessness and – unsurprisingly – my stubbornness. Quite a mixture, indeed. Remus must have had his hands full with you these last few years.'

'Yeah, sort of,' I laughed quietly. 'I don't think I've gone a year at Hogwarts without breaking several school rules.' Dad laughed. As much as he could see I looked like Mum, I was clearly just like him too. Then, braving it, I said, 'I've really missed you.'

'I've missed you, too,' said Sirius softly, 'and as soon as my name's cleared, I'm taking you home. It's been good of Remus to take care of you while I was imprisoned but it's time I took on my responsibilities.'

The smile on my face grew at that thought, of going home with my Dad once his name was clear. My happiness, however, didn't last long.

Above us in the sky a cloud shifted. The grounds around us all of a sudden were illuminated in a bright glow as the full moon shone down on to us. My heart sank when I saw it and I suddenly remembered what Snape had said when he first appeared in the Shrieking Shack. He had gone to Lupin's office to take him his Potion that he hadn't taken tonight. Instantly I looked away from Dad over to where I saw Lupin had stopped walking ahead of us, panic setting in. His entire body had gone rigid and he was starting to shake. Lupin wasn't safe and Ron was still chained to him and Pettigrew!

'Oh my –' gasped Hermione in front of me. 'He didn't take his Potion tonight! He's not safe!'

Dad leapt back to his feet and ran over to where Harry and Hermione were stood a few feet back from Lupin. I followed but instead of stopping beside him, made to run at Lupin only to be pulled back by Dad grabbing my arm. He pulled me back so that the three of us were behind him, his arm keeping us back.

'Run,' whispered Sirius. 'Run! Now!'

I watched as Lupin's silhouette began to shake more and more. He gripped at his hair as he attempted to fight it, falling to his knees in pain. The same fear and sadness swept me as I watched it, unable to bear seeing the pain Lupin had to be in. In a matter of moments though a full-grown werewolf would be standing in Lupin's place and would still be chained to Pettigrew and Ron. I had to do something. I had to do something to protect Ron from Lupin's werewolf form. I broke free from Dad's protection and made a second attempt to get at Lupin but again, Dad grabbed me, this time around my waist, and held me back.

'Leave it to me –' he gasped, his eyes not leaving Lupin's pained form. 'RUN!'

'No, I won't leave him!' I shouted.

'Jenna, you mustn't! He's not –'

Dad's shout was drowned out by a terrible snarl ripping through the silent night. I froze, my eyes watching in horror as Lupin finally gave in to his illness. Bent down on his hands and knees Lupin yelled in anguish as his body began to change. His face began to lengthen, becoming the werewolf's muzzle and his teeth becoming sharp and pointed; his shoulders hunched and grew larger as his bones began to twist and reset into his wolfish form, the formidable werewolf's size taking place of Lupin's lean body; fur started to grow over his face and hands, soon also replacing the clothes that had ripped on his back; finally his hands and feet scrabbled at the grass beneath them as they became large clawed paws that could rip through flesh with ease like a knife going through butter. Suddenly the werewolf reared and let out a deafening howl. It's large paw ripped the manacle off its front leg like it was made of plastic. It looked round at all of us behind it, its brown eyes full of bloodlust as it stared at the numerous prey it had before it.

'No!'

With a rush of adrenaline I broke free of Dad's grip and ran forwards. In one smooth leap I transformed and landed on the ground as the same wolf as before. I sprinted at full speed the few feet separating me from the werewolf. Not knowing if it would work, I took a running jump just before I reached him and, using my front paws, I pushed Moony back away from Ron and Pettigrew. The force of my jump pushed Moony over and the two of us rolled across the grass away from the others. But my attack had its consequences. Moony was back on his feet before I even had time to regain my bearings. I looked up to see Moony towering over my small wolf form. His teeth were bared and he snarled viciously at me.

 _You again!_ he snarled. _How dare you block a werewolf from his prey!_

 _Moony, this isn't you!_ I growled back. _Those are your friends! Please don't hurt them!_

But the Moony I knew wasn't there. Consumed with rage and bloodlust from being near humans for the first time in years, uninhibited by a Potion forcing him to keep his human mind or restrained by being in seclusion from others, Moony was unstoppable. It was then I finally saw why people feared werewolves so much. Moony snarled again and with a single swipe of his paw, slashed me straight across my muzzle for my interference. I whimpered as his claws cut through my skin, feeling the blood trickling through my fur.

A second loud growl sounded behind the werewolf. I blinked away the pain. The werewolf had become distracted by whatever was behind it. It span round just as the large bear-like dog from earlier attacked it. Dad must have transformed again. The dog grabbed the werewolf by its neck and dragged it back from me, giving me time to get back to my paws and back away. The werewolf reared a second time and threw the dog down on the ground with tremendous force. The dog didn't relent, however, and was soon attacking the werewolf once more. They were almost matched in both size and skill, the werewolf and dog both much larger than I was, as they snapped at each other with their fangs and tore at each other's fur with their claws. But soon it was clear that the dog was no match for the werewolf as Dad's time in Azkaban had made his body weak and his reactions slower than before when they were teenagers. With a particularly vicious swipe, the werewolf knocked the dog back and threw him against the rocky outcrop at the base of the castle.

In the distance I heard Hermione scream. It distracted me long enough from the fight between the dog and werewolf for me to see Ron get thrown to the ground by a spell. Pettigrew had got a hold of Lupin's wand that he'd dropped when he transformed. I was suddenly torn between stopping Pettigrew and helping the dog, not knowing what I should do. I heard Harry's shout of _Expelliarmus_ and telling Pettigrew to stay where he was. But then I heard the dog whimper and I looked round to see the werewolf throw him once more to the ground like he was nothing more than a toy. That made up my mind.

I got back to my paws and charged at the werewolf. It raised its paw to attack the dog. I locked my jaws around it, my teeth digging into its leg, and pulled it back so the dog could escape. The werewolf snarled when it felt me grab it. It tried to pull its leg from my grip, using its other front paw to try and hit me away. I dodged and ducked as best I could but my young age and inexperience of tackling a full-grown werewolf in a blood-fuelled rage meant I was too easy to predict in my movements. The werewolf reared and tore its leg from my grip. I was lifted on to my own back paws as I fought to hold on. With its leg now free and my under-body exposed, the werewolf lashed out. Its claws caught me clean across my chest and I was thrown backwards. My body hit the ground, rolling a few feet more across the grass, and I transformed back into my human form unable to hold the wolf any longer. I screamed in pain when I felt the scratches that now crossed my chest, my robes ripped and blood soaking through them. I was lucky though. Had I been any closer then the werewolf's claws would have gone a lot deeper; when I braved looking at them I saw that they had only just broken the skin and were surface wounds like the ones on my cheek.

'Jenna!'

'Jenna!'

Harry and Hermione appeared by my side. Hermione looked terrified, her eyes wide when she saw the state of me back in my human form.

'Are you OK?' she gasped.

'I'm fine,' I winced. 'But Dad – someone's got to help Dad!'

The dog and werewolf were fighting once more. Growls echoed loudly in the empty grounds. I sat up as best I could to see them locked jaw to jaw with each other. From somewhere in the distance another howl rang out. I listened to it, identifying it clearly as another werewolf. The werewolf must have heard it too. It howled back in reply then ran off down the hill towards the Forest.

'Sirius, he's gone,' shouted Harry. 'Pettigrew transformed!'

 _No_ , I thought. _Pettigrew can't have_ –

My thoughts of Pettigrew having escaped were pushed from my head the moment I saw Dad. The dog got to its paws and took an unsteady step forwards. Its body was covered in deep gashes from its fight with the werewolf, blood soaking into its black fur. With a last burst of energy, it ran off.

'Dad,' I breathed.

'Jenna?' I looked up when Harry said my name. 'Are you OK? Can you get up?'

'Yeah, I think so.'

With help from Harry and Hermione, I got to my feet. My body was sore from the fight with the werewolf and my chest and cheek both stung from the scratches. I quickly glanced myself over, seeing I had got off lightly with only those two injuries. With me back up and able to move, Harry, Hermione and I hurried over to Ron. He was lying slumped on the floor, his eyes half-closed and his mouth hanging open. His chest was rising which showed he was breathing at least. It looked like he'd simply been Stunned.

'What did he do to him?' Hermione asked.

'I don't know,' said Harry worriedly.

'It looks like he's been Stunned,' I said. I knew the affects because Lupin had taught me to recognise them. 'Stunning Spells cause people to look half-conscious like that. He should be fine.'

'Well what do we do now?' asked Hermione. 'Snape's still unconscious and there's a werewolf loose in the grounds. We could get killed if it comes back.'

'We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone,' said Harry. 'Come –'

Out of the darkness we heard a loud whimpering noise, the sound of a dog in pain …

'Dad …' I breathed, fear consuming me.

'Sirius …'

It took less than a second for me to make up my mind of what I was going to do. Ignoring my injuries I sprang to my feet and ran off. Fear filled my entire body right to my core. I had to find my Dad and find out if he was all right, to help him if I could. Even with Pettigrew gone, I couldn't lose him, not now! I followed the sound of the dog's whimpers and ran down the hill. The noise got louder the closer I got. It was coming from inside the Forbidden Forest. I ran across its boundary and into the overgrowth, the bushes and low branches of the trees scratching me as I ran through them without much care. I rushed through a final band of trees to find myself somewhere near the Black Lake, a far-reaching pool that seemed to be separated by the trees of the Forest. I looked round desperately for any sign of Dad. I found him a few feet in front of me lying by the water's edge back in his human form. I ran over to him.

'Dad!' I shouted. I fell to my knees beside him and turned him over. He didn't seem to be able to hear me as he didn't react to my voice. He was unconscious from exhaustion and injury. His ragged robes were even more torn from the fight with the werewolf, deep scratches just visible beneath them. 'Dad, come on! Dad, wake up!'

There was a rush of footsteps behind me but I didn't look round to see who it was. Next moment they were by my side.

'Sirius!' Harry shouted, running down the slope towards us. 'Sirius! Jenna, is he OK?' he asked me, crouching beside me.

'I don't know,' I breathed. 'He's not responding …'

The two of us continued to try and rouse Dad but nothing would work. As we knelt there I could feel myself starting to shake. At first I thought it was from the fear I had about the welfare of my Dad but when I saw my breath starting to mist in front of me, I realised my body was getting steadily colder and colder. Cautiously I looked up from Dad at the water before us. In the distance I could see something that looked like ice forming on its surface. It creaked and crackled as it spread across the length of the pool towards the bank where Dad, Harry and I were gathered becoming a dark shimmering grey mass. All of a sudden Dad let out a shuddered gasp for air and he opened his eyes.

' _Nooo_ ,' he breathed. ' _Noooo … please …_ '

Dad's eyes were staring at something directly above us. Harry and I looked up. A swarm of about a hundred Dementors had surrounded us, a large black swirling mass in the night's sky. I felt the familiar sensation of ice running through my veins and breathing becoming harder as if I was drowning in the cold. Thoughts of Dad dying filled my mind as I stared at the Dementors above me and I could not push them out of my head. I felt myself begin to weaken, and my remaining energy be taken from me, as one by one the Dementors swooped past where the three of us were crouched and attempted to suck the life and happiness from us.

'Jenna, think of something happy,' yelled Harry. He got to his feet and raised his wand. 'Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!'

I closed my eyes and tried to block out the images in my head of Dad dying. I tried to think of something happy but everything I thought of instantly turned against me. I had found my father; my Dad was now dying in front of me. Lupin finally believed what I'd been telling him all along; the werewolf side of him had taken over and he was now running wild somewhere in the Forest. Harry finally believed me about my Dad; Harry and I probably weren't going to live long enough for us to be able to reconcile. From the dark depths of my mind a memory surfaced. My Mum and Dad together, smiling and laughing, the sounds of their voices ringing in my ears as they held me. I fought to make it clearer. I wasn't even sure if it was even a memory. But I clung on to it. The image of my Mum, Dad and I together.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wand. I used the last of my strength to raise it above me.

'Expecto patronum,' I shouted as best I could. 'Expecto patronum!'

Faint silvery wisps shot from my wand tip but nothing more. A Dementor swooped low and took a long, rasping breath. I screamed as I felt them tear at me, attempting to rip every last remaining happy thought from me. More and more came, each taking their turn in sucking the life-force out of me, Harry and Dad. Having been severely weakened by the werewolf, it didn't take long for me to collapse. I fell forwards over Dad, my head lying on his chest. I stared at his lifeless face, watching as a Dementor tore at his body. He screamed until suddenly his voice cut out. I watched as tiny ball of light floated out of his mouth, lingering lost in the air. His soul.

'Dad …' I breathed. It seemed like forever I was there, begging him to wake up. 'Dad … please …'

Then … the coldness ebbed away … I blinked, unsure in my barely conscious state of what was happening. I turned my head just enough so I could look across the lake. A pair of lights, growing bright and brighter … They were sending the Dementors away … I could feel the warmth return to the air and the fog in my head beginning to lift …

With a last breath I closed my eyes and gave into the darkness …

* * *

AN: So Prisoner of Azkaban has turned out much longer than I thought it could be but it felt so vital to include everything that i've now written that this chapter too was so long it had to be split into two. So you actually get the bonus of two new chapters tonight, so I hope you enjoy both and let me know if you like how its changed.


	20. Innocent Lives Spared

Chapter 19

Innocent Lives Spared

'I got there to find the four students with the werewolf and Black. They had them cornered. I was lucky I got there in time …'

'Yes, indeed, Severus, a few moments later and we could have had the deaths of four students on our hands …'

I scrunched my eyes closed at the sound of the voices. They sounded unpleasantly loud. I tensed and let out a small moan. I moved my head as my neck ached from the position it was in. It was hurting so badly. My entire body felt like it had taken a beating from a bunch of Red Caps. I tried to shift my position to make myself more comfortable. The feeling of bed sheets and pillowcases brushed my skin. Confused, I forced my eyes open. Slowly they came into focus and I saw the familiar sight of rows of metal beds. I was in the Hospital Wing. Ahead of me I could see the doors. They were open and there was someone on the other side of them. I recognised the black robes belonging to Snape as he spoke with another man dressed in a pinstriped suit and carrying a lime green bowler hat. It was the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

'Black must have managed to lure them all down to his old hideout,' Snape was saying. 'My suspicions are that he'd managed to somehow contact his daughter and convince her to come to the Shrieking Shack. Naturally, Potter, Weasley and Granger must have tried to stop her, the four of them always being found together in whatever trouble they get into. Of course, being naïve to what Black had done, the girl led them straight to him as he wanted. The offer to see her father for the first time would have been all too tempting to a susceptible and easily influenced girl such as her.'

'Yes, yes,' agreed Fudge. 'She would have been the perfect tool for him to use to get to Harry Potter.'

'Black always was very shrewd, even at school, a heartless thug.'

I sat up as if a bolt of electricity had been sent through me. I looked round startled as suddenly everything from earlier in the evening came flooding back to my mind. The Shrieking Shack; Peter Pettigrew being forced to show himself then getting away; Lupin transforming into a werewolf and attacking me as I tried to defend the others; and Dad, down by the lake with me and Harry, Dementors swarming around us as they tried to take our souls. Harry –! My eyes scanned the room for him. He was lying unconscious in the bed opposite mine. Beside him sat Hermione who looked less worse for wear than the rest of us. At the far end of the room, Madam Pomfrey was bending over an still unconscious Ron, his leg now strapped in plaster while she mended his bones. I felt my head swirl from the sudden rush when I'd sat up. I looked to my right. There was a large lump of chocolate on my bedside table, just like I'd hoped. I grabbed a handful and shoved it into my mouth then got up out of my bed and strode towards the doors of the Hospital Wing. I had to find my Dad.

'Miss Black!' I stopped with my hand on the door handle to see Madam Pomfrey staring down at me. 'Get back into your bed this instant!' she reprimanded. 'You've just encountered several Dementors and have been attacked by a werewolf! You need your rest considering how lucky you are to still be alive!'

Madam Pomfrey marched over to where I was. With her hands on my shoulders she tried to steer me back towards my bed but I wouldn't have it. Hermione watched silently as I fought against her.

'No!' I screamed. I didn't care if I woke Harry or Ron, or if my hysterics were causing a scene. 'I want to see my Dad! Let me see my Dad!'

'Miss Black, your father Confunded you,' said Madam Pomfrey firmly. 'You're confused. You need to get back into bed.'

'I'm not confused,' I shouted. 'Dad –!'

My shouts had aroused the attention of Snape and Fudge outside the room. They pushed open the doors to see what all the commotion was. With them, having been hidden behind the half-closed doors, was Professor Dumbledore. His eyes peered at me through his half-moon spectacles and he walked into the room.

'Ah, Miss Black, I see you've woken up,' said Professor Dumbledore, his tone as light as ever.

'Professor, now is not a good time,' said Madam Pomfrey. She stopped trying to force me back to my bed but kept a firm grip on my shoulders so I couldn't run from her. 'These children need rest.'

'I understand that, Poppy, but, if I may, I need to have a word with Miss Black,' said Professor Dumbledore. I started, taken aback. I knew if I had asked him, Dumbledore would have listened to me, but I didn't expect this. He needed to have a word with me? Madam Pomfrey gave him a disapproving look.

'Albus, Miss Black has gone through a harrowing ordeal tonight,' said Madam Pomfrey firmly. 'Being attacked by her uncle, _and_ her father, using her like that –'

'I'm afraid I must insist, Poppy,' said Professor Dumbledore.

'Very well, Albus.'

Madam Pomfrey released my shoulders. She walked round me and strode off into her office, shutting the door behind her.

'I want to see my Dad,' I said to Dumbledore straight away. 'I have the right to see him.'

'Indeed, Miss Black,' said Professor Dumbledore wistfully. 'I was actually hoping you had woken so I could take you to see him when I heard your protests.' I stared at him, taken aback once more. 'Come along now, time waits for no man.'

Dumbledore turned on his heel and walked back up the length of the room and out of the Hospital Wing. Quickly I followed. Snape and Fudge were still just outside in the corridor. When they saw us, I saw Snape's eyes were focused intently on me. I kept my own lowered though I sent him a glare from beneath my fringe. Upon seeing that I was with Dumbledore, having moments before been unconscious, Fudge stopped us.

'Now really, Albus,' said Fudge. 'Miss Black should be resting. She's been through a distressing ordeal tonight.'

'That I am aware of, Cornelius, having just been reprimanded by Madam Pomfrey with the same statement,' said Professor Dumbledore curtly, 'however, I feel it is important that she face the man responsible. Therefore I am taking her to see Sirius Black.'

Fudge stared at Dumbledore, stunned by the decision.

'Are you sure that's wise?' he asked. 'He has already lured her into one trap. We don't want him attempting to trick her again.'

'I am in agreement with the Minister, Headmaster,' said Snape. 'Played by both a murderer and a werewolf –'

'Whom I have already countered for, Severus,' interrupted Dumbledore. I noted the slight edge in his voice. 'Remus Lupin is a more than capable guardian for Miss Black and has assured me on numerous occasions that he has had no association with Black for many years apart from the occasional visit while he was in Azkaban in order to get answers to questions that have plagued him for years in regards to his sister's murder. As for Sirius Black, he has no wand on him and with myself present as well, he will not be able to deceive Miss Black a second time.'

'Albus –'

'If Miss Black is to understand the truth, it is best for her that she confronts it herself,' said Dumbledore, a note of finality in his voice. 'Come along, Miss Black.'

With the conversation over, Dumbledore strode off. I gave Snape another dark glance from beneath my fringe then hurried after him. I didn't know where he was taking me, only that it would be to my Dad. We walked through the castle in silence. Being so late at night there was no one else about. After a while I realised we were walking towards the seventh floor, having gone up both familiar staircases that separated the Hospital Wing in the Clock Tower from the main castle and unfamiliar passageways hidden behind tapestries, and we seemed to be heading in the directions of the West Tower. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Dumbledore turned the corner and strode down the next corridor to where I knew Professor Flitwick's office was. That must have been where they were holding my Dad. In the distance I could hear the sounds of owls as they flew in and out of the Owlery for their evening hunts.

Professor Flitwick was stood outside his office door.

'How is our guest, Filius?' asked Professor Dumbledore when we reached him.

'Quiet,' replied Professor Flitwick. 'Hasn't said a word since he regained consciousness and we brought him up here from the grounds.'

His eyes caught sight of me, still in my ripped clothes and bandages just visible under my t-shirt and jacket, and he seemed to ask Dumbledore the same silent question as Fudge. Was it wise to let Black see me? Dumbledore seemed to notice this too as he gave Professor Flitwick a pointed look then took out his wand. He gave the doorknob a light tap and cancelled the spells locking it. He stood to one side to let me in. With a cautious glance at him, I walked past Dumbledore and into the office. Dad was crouched in the far corner of the room beneath the window. Attached to his wrists was a set of manacles, the other ends connected to the stone wall he leant against. He didn't look up when I entered.

'Dad …' I breathed.

The sound of my voice stirred him. He looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of me standing there.

'Jenna …'

Dad made to get up to reach me but the manacles held him back. I hurried over to him. I fell to my knees as I threw my arms around him, close enough so he could hold me too. I held on to him tightly, scared of what would happen if I let go. After a minute or two I felt Dad released me and I looked up. There was a sad look in his grey eyes and his sunken face looked older than his years once more. He gently touched my cheek.

'I was so worried,' said Sirius. 'I thought the Dementors had killed you. I was so scared I'd lost you again.'

'It takes more than Dementors to kill me,' I said. I was trying to hold back my tears again but my shaking voice betrayed me, and I knew they were falling down my cheeks. I tried to sound brave in the face of what was going to happen but I couldn't stop myself saying it. 'I don't want you to die.'

Dad closed his eyes. His thin chest heaved a sigh.

'There's nothing you can do,' he told me. 'Fudge has called for the Dementors. They'll be here as soon as he's dealt with them for attacking you and Harry when they found me.'

'No,' I said firmly, shaking my head, 'there must be a way to prove you're innocent. We all know the truth. Lupin knows the truth! He can tell them!'

'Remus isn't able to tell them anything at the moment,' said Sirius heavily, 'and they are unlikely to trust him given his condition and his connections to me. And with Pettigrew gone, there's no proof. Fudge will never listen to you all, not with Snape providing a much more convincing story.' He stopped, just looking at me. 'I'm so sorry, Jenna.'

I couldn't believe it. He was giving up. Just like that, after _everything_ we had been through tonight, he was giving up.

'Dad, don't say that,' I responded. 'I'll get you out, I promise.'

'Don't make promises you can't keep, Jenna,' said Sirius. 'I learnt that years ago, when I lost you the first time around, and when I lost Tala. I promised I'd protect you both and I couldn't. Just remember this: I always hoped you were alive. I never gave up that hope and I've always loved you.' Dad stroked my cheek. I held on to his hand, gripping his fingers in mine. 'I have something I want to give you.'

Dad lifted something from beneath his shirt and unclipped it from around his neck. He took my hand and placed whatever it was in my palm. I looked at it. It was a necklace made up of tiny brown wooden beads that looked like they'd been individually hand carved. In the centre was a tiny white and grey mottled feather. It looked like it had come from an owl.

'It was your mother's,' Sirius told me. 'I gave it to her as a birthday present when she came of age. She added the feather to it herself. It's rightfully yours.'

'Miss Black.' I looked round when I heard Dumbledore call me. 'I'm afraid that's all the time I can spare you. I must get you back to the Hospital Wing otherwise Madam Pomfrey will have my wand.'

'What? No –' I felt Dumbledore take hold of my arm and gently lift me so I stood up, pulling me from Dad's arms. 'Please, Professor Dumbledore,' I pleaded, 'my Dad is innocent. Peter Pettigrew is the one who betrayed Harry's parents! He's an Animagus. He's been hiding as a rat for the last twelve years. Dad never killed him!'

Dumbledore eyed me carefully. I knew what I said sounded like the crazy ramblings of a child desperate to have her father back but he had to believe me. Dumbledore was always a man who seemed to know more than he let on. Maybe he had already known that Dad, James and Pettigrew had been Animagi. If he did then he had to believe what I said.

'Sirius?' said Dumbledore. He and Dad stared at each other for a few silent seconds before Dad gave a single nod.

'We became Animagi in our fifth year to help Remus,' Sirius explained. 'Pettigrew's form was a rat, a rat that he's been hiding as since the day I cornered him, when _he_ blew up the street with his wand hidden behind his back, when _he_ killed all those Muggles. I recognised him the moment I saw him on that boy's shoulder in the _Prophet_. I made the mistake in thinking that he would be a better choice of Secret-Keeper than me, convinced James to change to him, thinking Voldemort would never think to go after him. Little did I know that the coward had a stronger protector of his talentless self than James and I were at school, and that he was the traitor who'd been passing information to Voldemort all that time. '

'Please, Professor Dumbledore, it's the truth,' I insisted. 'Ron's rat was Pettigrew. We saw him.'

'There is little time,' said Dumbledore. 'We must leave, Miss Black.'

Dumbledore turned on his heel to leave. I reluctantly followed, my eyes not leaving Dad.

'Dad!' I called. 'Dad, I'll save you! I promise!'

My words felt futile. I knew there was nothing I could do that could save Dad now. With no evidence and no reliable witness, Dad was as good as dead. I walked in silence back to the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore leading the way ahead of me. Everything felt so hopeless. After all I'd found out, after all that had happened this evening, I had run out of time to save him from the Dementors. He would be worse than dead soon enough. Dumbledore turned the corner and continued down the fourth floor corridor. As we approached the Cloak Tower and ascended the spiralling staircase leading to it, I could hear the voices of Snape and Fudge talking, audible in the silence of the castle. They must have still been outside the Hospital Wing. I dragged myself from the dark thoughts in my head long enough to focus on what they were saying.

'Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!'

'Thank you very much indeed, Minister.'

'Nasty cut you've got there … Black's work, I suppose?'

'As a matter of fact, it was Black's daughter along with Potter, Weasley and Granger, Minister …'

' _No!_ '

'As I said earlier, Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions.'

My eyebrow arched in curiosity. Normally Snape didn't hesitate to reprimand Harry – or any of us – for any bad behaviour. Of course, as Snape continued, I could tell it was only to solidify the idea that Dad could in no way be an innocent man and our actions were the result of a Confundus Charm.

'On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape … they obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed when they went after his daughter. They've got away with a great deal before now … I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves …'

 _There it is_ , I thought to myself. _Same old Snape_.

'… and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of licence by the Headmaster –'

'Ah, well, Snape … Harry Potter, you know … we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned.'

'And yet – is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally I try to treat hum like any other student. And any other student would be suspended – at the very least – for leading his friends into such danger, even if it were to save one of them. Consider, Minister: against all school rules – after all the precautions put in place for his protection – out of bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer – and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally, too –'

'Well, well … we shall see, Snape, we shall see … the boy has undoubtedly been foolish … though his motives were admirable in going after his friend …'

I frowned. Snape clearly had twisted the story so much in order to convince Fudge of Dad's guilt. But as he said, Snape was providing a much more believable story than the others or I ever would. Without Pettigrew as proof anything we could say would be instantly dismissed as us being confused or bewitched.

'What amazes me most,' continued Fudge's voice, 'is the behaviour of the Dementors … you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?'

'No, Minister,' replied Snape. 'By the time I had come round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances …'

'Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girl –'

'All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers and brought them all straight back to the castle.'

Well that explained how I'd gotten to the Hospital Wing then.

Dumbledore and I appeared at the top of the staircase. Fudge and Snape fell silent when they saw us. I saw Snape give me a cautious look, his eyes narrowing. The door to the Hospital Wing was still slightly ajar from when I had left it earlier and I could hear voices coming from inside. Madam Pomfrey was talking to someone. Had one of the others woken up?

'WHAT?'

I jumped when I heard Harry's voice. His outburst not only drew my attention but also that of Snape and Fudge. Fudge and Snape pushed open the door and entered the Hospital Wing. I saw Harry was now awake. Both he and Hermione were on their feet while Madam Pomfrey was looking exasperated and the new commotion that had started. I made to enter when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Dumbledore looked at me out of the corner of his eye, silently telling me not to enter yet. Confused by his instructions, I stayed where I was. Fudge was now talking to Madam Pomfrey.

'Harry, Harry, what's this?' Fudge was blustering. 'You should be in bed – has he had any chocolate?' he asked Madam Pomfrey.

'Minister, listen!' said Harry urgently. 'Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's –'

'Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control …'

'YOU HAVEN'T!' shouted Harry. 'YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!'

I blinked. OK, Harry was defending my Dad, that was all well and good but what exactly was it that Dumbledore wanted me to hear? I glanced at him for any sort of hint of why he was making me wait. But why? Time was against us as it was but with Harry and Hermione now telling Fudge that they had the wrong man, it was vital I spoke up now if there was any chance of saving him. With all three of our stories coinciding with each other, there was a hope that we could overturn Dad's sentence and give him a second chance. But there was no time! The Dementors would be at Dad's temporary cell as soon as Fudge was done here. We needed more time!

Something suddenly clicked into place in my head.

'Time,' I said to myself. For some reason, images of Hermione throughout the year played through my head. How she would be with us one moment, then disappear, then reappear again seconds later but in a slightly different place. I had always wondered how she had the time to fit in all her classes when so many of them overlapped and she was required to be in two places at once within the same hour. Did that mean … did Hermione have the answer to helping Dad? 'If only we had _more time_ …'

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dumbledore smile.

'Minister, listen, please,' came Hermione's voice. 'I saw him, too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and –'

'You see, Minister?' said Snape. 'Confunded, both of them … Black's done a very good job on them …'

'WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!'

'Minister! Professor!' objected Madam Pomfrey. 'I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!'

'I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!' said Harry angrily. 'If they'd just listen –'

Harry's voice cut out. A moment later Madam Pomfrey spoke.

'Now, _please_ , Minister, these children need care. Please leave –'

At that moment, Dumbledore decided to announce himself. He strode forwards and through the Hospital Wing doors. I followed after him. Everyone looked round to see who had entered. Madam Pomfrey looked almost beside herself at this new interruption in her care.

'Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black –'

'For heaven's sake!' said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. 'Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I hope you are simply returning Miss Black to my care because I must insist –'

'My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter and Miss Granger,' said Dumbledore. His voice was remarkably calm. 'I have just been talking to Sirius Black –'

'I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?' spat Snape. 'Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive –'

'That, indeed, is Black's story,' confirmed Dumbledore.

'And does my evidence count for nothing?' Snape snarled. 'Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds.'

'That was because you were knocked out, Professor!' said Hermione. 'You didn't arrive in time to hear –'

'Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!'

'Now, Snape,' said Fudge, startled by Snape's outburst. I wasn't; he knew the three of us knew what really happened down in the Shrieking Shack and Hermione, to be honest, was the most reliable person to ask about what happened as she had the cleanest track record. Snape didn't want our story being believed and his chance for revenge on my Dad being taken away from him. 'The young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances –'

'I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone,' said Dumbledore abruptly. His calm tone had vanished. 'Cornelius, Severus, Poppy – please leave us.'

'Headmaster!' spluttered Madam Pomfrey. 'They need treatment, they need rest –'

'This cannot wait,' said Dumbledore. 'I must insist.'

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips then once more strode away into her office. Fudge pulled a gold pocket watch from the pocket of his waistcoat to check the time. Snape didn't move.

'The Dementors should have arrived by now,' said Fudge. 'I'll go and met them. Dumbledore. I'll see you upstairs.'

Fudge crossed the Hospital Wing and opened the door, holding it for Snape. Still Snape didn't move.

'You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?' whispered Snape to Dumbledore. A shiver ran down my spine at his tone. It sounded almost deadly. I watched their exchange nervously.

'I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone,' repeated Dumbledore.

Snape took a step closer to Dumbledore. When he spoke his voice was even lower, even more dangerous.

'Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen. You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill _me_?'

'My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus.'

Snape stared at Dumbledore a second more before turning on his heel and marching out of the open door Fudge held for him. Fudge gave Dumbledore a curt nod then he too disappeared, the door closing behind him. With them both gone, Dumbledore turned to us.

'Professor, Black's telling the truth – we saw Pettigrew –'

'– he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf –'

'– he's a rat –'

'– Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off –'

'– Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius –'

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop Harry and Hermione's stream of garbled facts. They fell silent.

'It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time,' said Dumbledore. 'There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word – and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eye-witnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper.'

'Professor Lupin can tell you –' started Harry but Dumbledore once again stopped him.

'Professor Lupin is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little – especially when the fact he attacked his own niece this evening is taken into account – and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends –'

'But –'

' _Listen to me, Harry_ ,' pressed Dumbledore. 'It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours.'

'He hates Sirius,' said Hermione desperately. 'All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him –'

'Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady – entering the Gryffindor Tower with a knife – without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence.'

' _But you believe us_.'

'Yes, I do,' said Dumbledore. He lowered his voice. 'But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister for Magic … What we need is more _time_.'

'But –' Suddenly Hermione's eyes widened. 'OH!'

I looked between Hermione and Dumbledore. Was I right? Did Hermione have the answer on how to help my Dad?

'Now, pay attention' said Dumbledore, speaking very low and clearly. I had never heard him sound serious before. 'Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window form the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you. _You must not be seen_. Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake but if you succeed then more than one innocent life can be spared … _you_ – _must_ – _not_ – _be_ – _seen_.'

I swallowed. In my three years at Hogwarts never had I felt so scared in what I was about to face. My Dad's life depended on whatever Dumbledore wanted us to do. No matter what though, we had to succeed. Dumbledore turned on his heel and headed for the door.

'I am going to lock you in. It is –' Dumbledore consulted his watch, '– five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.'

With that the doors of the Hospital Wing shut and the locked clicked.

'Good luck?' repeated Harry. 'Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?'

I ignored Harry and turned to Hermione. A silent look between us told her that I already knew what Dumbledore had hinted to her and Harry, having worked it out myself only minutes before while I'd been outside the Hospital Wing with Dumbledore, though I had absolutely no idea how we were going to do it. Hermione instantly reached inside her jacket. From beneath her collar she pulled out a long thing golden chain. Attached to it was a small circular pendant. Upon closer inspection I saw that the pendant was actually a device. Encased in two circles was a small hourglass; at either end were two little dials that looked like they could spin. Hermione ordered me and Harry to get closer to her and threw the chain that had magically lengthened around our necks. Harry, clearly confused as to what was going on and what Hermione and I knew that he didn't, made to touch the strange pendant only to have Hermione slap his hand away.

'Ready?' she asked.

'What are we doing?' asked Harry but she gave him no answer.

Hermione turned the tiny dial. Once – twice – three times the miniature hourglass turned over. Slowly the device began to spin.

The dark ward of the Hospital Wing slowly began to dissolve around us. I watched, my eyes wide, as it vanished from view, figures appearing and retracing their steps as time was rewound. Soon everything surrounding Harry, Hermione and I was a blur of colour and shapes. I felt the ground beneath me vanish and felt my body being pulled in some unknown directions. The further time rewound the faster everything spun. I started though when Harry and Hermione disappeared from my side. After what felt like an eternity but was mere seconds my surroundings came back into view and I saw I was once again standing at the base of the Dark Arts Tower. At first I was confused; how was I on the third floor and where were Harry and Hermione? It was then I realised whatever that thing was Hermione had used had taken me back to where I was at whatever time it was now and the reason we were no longer together was because I hadn't been with them at that time. It must have been when I was still with Lupin in his office and Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading down to Hagrid's Hut. Remembering Dumbledore's words of " _you must not be seen_ " I ran off to return to the Clock Tower in hopes I would catch Harry and Hermione before the left wherever they had re-materialised.

Luckily being on the third floor meant I didn't have too far to run to get back to the fourth floor. I ran through the empty corridors and up the staircase I had walked up with Dumbledore a mere half an hour before. I checked the coast was clear then made my way down the wooden staircase within the Clock Tower to the ground floor and out into the Courtyard. Although I hadn't been with them, I didn't want to run into the other Harry, Ron and Hermione – something I never thought I'd find myself thinking or doing – and had to be careful not to be seen by anyone. I jumped down the last couple of stairs and wheeled round the banister to head for the doors.

'Jenna!' I heard someone call my name. I looked round. Hermione's head was sticking out of a broom cupboard door just to my left. 'In here! Quick!'

Hermione held the door to the cupboard and I hurried inside. She closed the door firmly behind us. Beside her, Harry still looked confused about what on earth was going on.

'Hermione – now will you tell me what's going on?'

'We've gone back in time,' Hermione whispered. She kept her head to the door, listening for something. 'Three hours back …'

'But –'

'Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think – I think it might be us!' Hermione fell silent as she listened. 'Footsteps across the hall … yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!'

'Are you telling me,' said Harry slowly, 'that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there, too?'

'Yes,' said Hermione. 'I'm sure it's us … it doesn't sound like more than three people … and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak –'

Hermione stopped. Harry and I waited for her to speak again.

'We've gone out into the Courtyard …'

With the other "them" supposedly gone, Hermione took a seat on an upturned bucket. Seeing as we weren't going anywhere yet, I leant back against the wall to wait until Hermione was ready to go. Harry, however, still had some questions he wanted answered.

'Where did you _get_ that hourglass thing?' was his first.

'It's called a Time-Turner,' said Hermione, 'and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Minstry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies … I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But …'

Hermione paused. I had been wondering if she was going to take a breath during that explanation.

' _I don't understand what Dumbledore ants us to do_ ,' she burst quietly. 'Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?'

Hermione had a point. We had gone back three hours. That was more than enough time before we encountered Dad in the Shrieking Shack. If anything it seemed like we'd gone back too far. What else was it Dumbledore had wanted us to do?

'There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change,' said Harry. 'What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid three hours ago …'

'This is three hours ago, and we _are_ walking down to Hagrid's,' said Hermione. 'We just heard ourselves leaving …'

Harry frowned. Hermione too looked frustrated that she couldn't figure out Dumbledore's plan.

'Maybe we should follow – yourselves – down to Hagrid's,' I suggested, feeling slightly stupid as I said it. It did sound absurd after all. 'Maybe if we watch you, we'll figure out what it is.'

Hermione frowned but nodded nonetheless. She pushed open the door and peered outside. The Clock Tower entrance was empty. Satisfied that we were alone Harry, Hermione and I left the broom cupboard. We walked quickly out of the doors and across the Courtyard towards the Stone Circle. Ahead of us I could hear voices. We hurried over the Wooden Bridge, stopping when we reached the archway at the end. I peered round the edge of the stone arch. Having disposed of the Cloak now they were out in the grounds, I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione standing in the Stone Circle and they weren't alone. The voices I'd heard belonged to none other than Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

'You!' Hermione – the other Hermione – was shouting. I watched as she strode towards Malfoy, Harry and Ron just behind her, and drew her wand. 'You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!'

Hermione pointed her wand at Malfoy who had his back against one of the Stones. Malfoy cowered with his back against one of the Stones as she aimed it directly at his face. It was almost pathetic to watch him whimpering like that.

'Hermione, no,' said Ron. 'He's not worth it.'

'That's us,' said Harry, the Harry beside me. 'This is not normal.'

'Quick to catch on, isn't he?' I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes, as I kept watching the others. 'Dumbledore wanted us to return to this moment,' I whispered next. 'Clearly something happened that he wants us to change. But what?'

Hermione had lowered her wand but was still glaring at Malfoy with a look of pure disgust. It looked like she was going to walk away when all of a sudden Hermione span round and Malfoy square in the face. Malfoy's smirk at Hermione backing down was immediately wiped from his face when her fist connected with his nose, his head smacking back against the Stone. My jaw dropped open; I had to admit, I was impressed, I didn't think Hermione had it in her.

'Good punch,' I muttered, having not seen it the first time.

'Thanks,' said Hermione though I noticed her blush. 'Quick, Malfoy's coming.

Hermione grabbed mine and Harry's arms and pulled us away from the arch and through another to our left. We jumped off the platform and crouched down at the base. Just in time too. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle ran up the footpath and in through the arch we had previously been standing in, Malfoy assuring the other two that he'd "get that jumped up Mudblood". I frowned at that. Their footsteps pounded along the Wooden Bridge and disappeared into the distance. When it sounded like they'd gone, Harry, Hermione and I crept forwards to peer round the corner again. The other Harry, Hermione and Ron had set off down the hill towards Hagrid's Hut. With them away from the Stone Circle, the three of us came out of hiding. We hurried over to the Stone Circle and looked down the hill. They were about halfway down it. At the bottom in his vegetable patch lay a giant grey bird with a chain tied round its neck and attached to a fence post. Buckbeak.

'Guys, look,' I said, pointing at him. 'Buckbeak's still alive.'

'That's it!' gasped Harry. I looked at him. 'Dumbledore just said – just said we could save more than one innocent life … We're going to save Buckbeak!'

'But – how will that help Sirius?' asked Hermione.

'Dumbledore said – he just told us where the window is – the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak – they can escape together!'

Hermione and I stared at Harry. I was the first to speak though.

'You're joking, right? We're going to steal Buckbeak from under Hagrid's and the Ministry's noses and use him to help Dad escape?'

'If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle,' said Hermione.

'Well, we've got to try, haven't we?' said Harry.

I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. But what other option did we have?

'Well then we better get going,' I said. 'Dumbledore and Fudge will probably be here any second.'

'If anyone's looking out of the window –' Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle.

'We'll run for it,' said Harry. 'Straight into the Forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout –'

'OK, but we'll go round by the greenhouses!' said Hermione. 'We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We'll be at Hagrid's Hut any moment!'

The three of us ran off around the edges of the castle and towards the greenhouses. We kept as close as we could to the edge of the building, using the shadows being cast on the grounds by the setting sun to keep out of sight. I kept glancing down the hill as we got further and further away from Hagrid's Hut. The grounds were getting steadily darker. We had to hurry. When we reached the greenhouses we diverted to the edge of the Forest to skirt back round towards Hagrid's. We raced through the trees until we reached Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Crouching down behind them, we watched and listened for any sign of what was happening inside his Hut.

'Yeh shouldn've come!' came Hagrid's loud whisper. They were inside all right.

'This is the weirdest thing we've ever done,' muttered Harry.

'You think?' I replied.

'Let's move along a bit,' whispered Hermione. 'We need to get nearer to Buckbeak.'

Buckbeak was a few feet ahead of us, tethered to the fence post of the gate of the pumpkin patch. There was a small pile of dead ferrets beside him for him to eat. Carefully the three of us crept round some of the larger pumpkins to get a bit closer to him. In the distance I could hear more voices. I glanced back up the hill to see Dumbledore, Fudge, Edmund Farley and the executioner were heading down the hill. I nudged the others and pointed them out.

'Now?' asked Harry.

'No!' said Hermione. 'If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!'

'That's going to give us about sixty seconds,' said Harry.

'That's not much time,' I said. I glanced once more at Dumbledore and the others. 'They're coming,' I breathed. 'And you aren't leaving. Why aren't you leaving?'

'I haven't found Scabbers yet,' said Hermione. 'We don't leave until we've found him. And Hagrid's milk jug has got to break.'

You had to be joking. If the them in Hagrid's Hut didn't get caught being in there and out of bounds, the us out here certainly would be caught by Fudge breaking the one rule Dumbledore told us not to break. To not be seen. I looked back at the window, shifting my position to get a better view. Something touched my hand. A stone. I picked it up. If the milk jug had to break … Quickly I threw the stone through the window. Harry and Hermione looked at me startled; I merely ducked down when I heard a smash, meaning I'd somehow managed to hit Hagrid's milk jug.

'You did that?' asked Hermione. I shrugged. I didn't know I'd done that. I'd only just thought of it. 'So I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment –' and sure enough, seconds later we heard Hermione scream.

'Hermione,' said Harry suddenly, 'what if we – we just run in there, and grab Pettigrew –'

'No!' said Hermione, aghast by the suggestion. 'Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen –'

'We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!'

'Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?' asked Hermione.

'I'd – I'd think I'd gone mad,' said Harry, 'or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on –'

' _Exactly!_ You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time … loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!'

'What about Jenna?' Harry then asked. 'She's not with us. She can go get him.'

'And say what?' I asked. 'I can't just burst in there and go after Scabbers claiming it's Pettigrew when at this current moment you three still don't even believe me about Dad's innocence. What if you cursed me or something? The me with Lupin would get injured too with no explanation how.'

'OK!' said Harry. 'It was just an idea, I just thought –'

The Harry, Ron and Hermione in Hagrid's Hut still hadn't moved and Dumbledore, Fudge, Farley and the executioner were getting closer. We had to hide and they had to get out of there. Impatient with the lack of progress and the fact we would get caught in minutes, I picked up another stone and lobbed it through the window. It arced over the window frame and connected with the back of Harry's head.

'So you're the one who threw that stone at me,' said Harry. He rubbed the back of his head as if the stone had just hit him as well as the other Harry. 'That hurt.'

'Sorry,' I muttered. But it had done the trick. The Harry in the Hut had seen Dumbledore and Fudge and alerted the others. Buckbeak had also seen them and let out a squawk of agitation. 'Quick, it looks like you're coming out!'

Harry, Hermione and I got up and ran back into the nearby trees. Just in time too as the back door opened and Hagrid appeared while Dumbledore and Fudge were just rounding the corner of the footpath.

'Go on. Get goin'.'

'Hagrid, we can't –'

'We can tell them what really happened –'

'They can't kill him –'

'Go!' insisted Hagrid. 'It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all. Go quick. Don' listen …'

Harry threw the Cloak over himself, Ron and Hermione just as Dumbledore knocked on Hagrid's front door. We watched as footprints appeared in the mud as the three of them snuck through Hagrid's vegetable patch, past Buckbeak, and headed off back up the hill. With them out of the way, the three of us crept back out from cover. Hagrid had let Dumbledore and Fudge into his Hut. He had left the back door open allowing us to hear their conversation.

'Where is the beast?' growled a voice I didn't recognise. I presumed it was the executioner.

'Out – outside,' croaked Hagrid.

'We – er – have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid,' said Fudge. 'I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, you're supposed to listen too, that's procedure –'

Seeing his opportunity, Harry told Hermione and I to wait behind the pumpkins as he attempted to coax Buckbeak to come with us. Harry came out from behind the pumpkins and approached the Hippogriff. I watched with my breath held and my eyes darting between Harry and the window. Carefully, Harry walked up to Buckbeak and proceeded to bow. The creature looked up from where it lay. Buckbeak's eyes peered at Harry for a moment or two before lowering its head in return. With Buckbeak's consent, Harry started to untie the chain from the fencepost.

' _It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown, sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair, as witnessed below._ '

'Come on, Buckbeak,' murmured Harry. He gently tugged on the chain but Buckbeak wouldn't budge. He squawked, irritated, and attempted to settle back down. 'Jenna, help me!'

'Cornelius, I do believe I should sign as well …'

'Oh, well, very well. Just sign on the dotted line. Your name will do.'

'Well it is a very long name …'

Conscious of how much time we had, I ran from cover and grabbed hold of Buckbeak's chain. Together we put our combined weight behind it and pulled the chain. Buckbeak squawked a second time but got to his feet. He dug his claws into the mud, determined not to be moved. It was only when Hermione enticed him with some of the dead ferrets that Buckbeak finally began to move.

'One moment, please, Macnair,' interrupted Dumbledore's voice again. 'You need to sign, too.'

'Harry, hurry!' gasped Hermione.

Waving the ferrets behind her, Hermione ran back towards the trees. Tempted by the food Buckbeak allowed Harry and I to lead him into the Forest. The door to Hagrid's Hut banged open behind us. Now obscured from view by the first band of trees, I span round to see the adults exit the house with Macnair in the lead, axe in hand, and Hagrid bringing up the rear. Harry stopped Buckbeak so he could watch, Hermione feeding him a ferret to keep him quiet. We all remained very still as we waited to see if we had pulled this off. There was a moment of silence then –

'Where is it?' growled the voice of Farley. A small smirk graced my face at that. After how he'd treated Lupin last year when he'd inspected our home, it was nice to see him being foiled a second time. 'Where is the beast?'

'It was tied here!' said Macnair. 'I saw it! just here!'

'How extraordinary,' said Dumbledore. I could hear the note of amusement in his voice.

'Beaky?' Hagrid was looking worriedly round the vegetable patch. 'Buckbeak?'

Buckbeak tugged at the chain when he heard Hagrid call him. Harry and I quickly seized the chain and held him back. There was the sound of a blade cutting through the air and the thud of an axe hitting the ground. The executioner must have swung his axe in frustration that the creature had got away. The "Oh" that came from Hermione told me they must have seen it from the top of the hill, making them think Buckbeak had been executed. Hagrid, meanwhile, through howls of tears was sobbing in joy that Buckbeak was gone.

'Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's _gone_! Musta pulled himself free. Beaky, yeh clever boy!'

Buckbeak snapped his beak and pulled again against the chain. Harry, Hermione and I all dug our heels into the ground to hold him.

'Someone untied him!' shouted the executioner angrily. 'We should search the grounds, the Forest –'

'Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?' asked Dumbledore airily. 'Search the skies, if you will … But now, Hagrid, I think I could do with a nice cup of tea. Or a large brandy.'

'O' – o' course, Professor,' said Hagrid. He was dabbing his eyes with his large spotted handkerchief. 'You'll find no small glasses in this house. Come in, come in …'

'Macnair,' Dumbledore added, turning back to him, 'your services are no longer required. Thank you.'

I smiled at Dumbledore's almost mocking retort to the executioner. He always did have such a way with words. With a snap of a door and the cursing of a cheated man, Dumbledore and the Ministry officials separated.

'Now what?' whispered Harry.

'We'll have to hide in here,' said Hermione. Her face was pale, clearly relieved we'd gotten away with it. 'We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius' window. He won't be there for another couple of hours … oh, this is going to be difficult …'

'Hermione, we've just _stolen_ a Hippogriff right from under Fudge's nose,' I said, meaning it to be reassuring. 'If we can pull that off without being seen, we just might be able to get away with this, as crazy as it is.'

I glanced into the grounds. The Whomping Willow was just visible in the distance. We had to get over to it so we could see when we emerged from it in a couple hours' time. The sun was beginning to set in the sky and darkness falling over the school.

'We're going to have to move,' said Harry, saying aloud what I was thinking. 'We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on.'

'OK,' said Hermione. 'But we've got to keep out of sight, Harry, remember …'

With her warning once again of not to be seen, Hermione picked up the dead ferrets and got Buckbeak's attention. Harry and I kept hold of his chain and together we walked around the edge of the Forest back towards the Whomping Willow. The darkness got steadily thicker as time ticked on and soon the only light we had to see our way was the sun disappearing over the horizon's edge. When the Willow came into view, Harry stopped Buckbeak and tied his chain to a nearby tree trunk that was thick enough to hold him if he tried to break his bonds. While Harry did that, I ran on ahead. I had to find out what was going on. I stopped at the very edge of the trees when I saw the large black shadow cast on the ground and the Willow stood before me. Harry and Hermione joined me moments later. We watched as Ron came into view when he broke cover of the invisibility Cloak to go after Scabbers, Harry and Hermione then chasing after Ron. We watched as the dog appeared and attacked them, the wolf leaping from above to protect them and the fight breaking out between the two animals. The wolf was knocked away and the dog seized Ron's arm to drag him into the passageway beneath the tree.

'Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?' said Harry. 'Ouch – look, I just got walloped by the tree – and so did you – this is _weird_ –'

'That reminds me,' said Hermione suddenly. She looked over at me. 'Why didn't you tell us you were an Animagus, Jenna?'

I blinked, unprepared for the question. I turned away, not really wanting to discuss it right now.

'The same reason I didn't tell you who my Dad was,' I muttered. 'Because you wouldn't understand …'

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, surprised by my response. I shifted uneasily on my feet and focused my attention back on to the tree. Its branches had stopped their violent whipping, indicating that Crookshanks must have pressed the knot in the roots. That meant the dog had pulled Ron into the tree's base with the wolf following closely afterwards. Harry and Hermione would be doing so too in the next few minutes. Sure enough, the Willow's branches began to sway again moments later. We were all down in the passage. Barely seconds afterwards, voices started in the distance. I looked back towards Hagrid's Hut to see Dumbledore, Fudge, Farley and Macnair were returning to the castle.

'Right after we'd gone down into the passage!' said Hermione. 'If _only_ Dumbledore had come with us …'

'Macnair and Fudge would've come too,' Harry pointed out. 'I bet you anything Fudge would have told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot …'

A shiver ran down my spine at those words.

'Thankfully, Macnair would only be licensed to carry out the executions of creatures,' I said bracingly.

'How d'you know that?' asked Harry.

'Lupin's dealt a lot with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures' Beast Division,' I answered. 'For … _obvious_ reasons. Everyone who works there is specially licensed to ensure that no one abuses their power, especially when it comes to dealing with situations where the subject's status of "beast" or "being" comes into question. They can't carry out any unlawful killing on someone whose status falls into the "being" category. Fudge couldn't order Macnair to kill Dad even if he wanted to.'

The scene before us had fallen silent for now. Then, coming round from the back of the castle, Lupin came sprinting across the grass towards the Whomping Willow. My heart jumped when I saw him, knowing that he hadn't taken his Wolfsbane Potion and that in an hour or so he'd become a dangerous creature. Lupin picked up a large branch off the ground and used it to prod the knot in the roots. The tree's branches stopped once more and Lupin descended into the hole.

'If he'd only grabbed the Cloak,' said Harry, watching him. 'It's just lying there …' He glanced at Hermione. 'If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and –'

'Harry, _we mustn't be seen_!' repeated Hermione firmly.

'How can you stand this?' retorted Harry. His voice had become fiercer, revealing his frustration at the situation. 'Just standing here and watching it happen?' He hesitated. 'I'm going to grab the Cloak!'

'Harry, _no_!'

Hermione and I grabbed Harry's arms and held him back. Just in time too. Not a moment later, preceded by the tones of a very off-key song, Hagrid came striding up the hill. His walk was swayed slightly from side to side which I presumed to mean he had perhaps had something to drink in celebration of Buckbeak's "escape". At the sound of Hagrid's drunken singing Buckbeak lifted his head. Releasing Harry, the three of seized the chain to keep him from running off. We couldn't let him get loose, not when we were so close to saving Dad. Hagrid's footsteps and singing slowly faded away. He was gone. Buckbeak clicked his beak but stopped resisting us. His head drooped at the sight of his master gone.

'It's OK, Buckbeak,' I told him, stroking his feathers. 'You'll see him again.'

More footsteps sounded. I watched as Snape charged across the grounds towards the Whomping Willow and to where we were all currently gathered. He paused briefly then bent down to pick something up off the ground. It must have been Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Harry clenched his fists and glared in Snape's direction.

'Get your filthy hands off it,' growled Harry.

'Shh!' hissed Hermione.

Cloak in hand, Snape seized the same branch Lupin had used and pressed the knot in the roots. Seconds later he vanished beneath the Cloak.

'So that's it,' said Hermione. 'We're all down there … and we've just got to wait until we come back up again …'

I sighed, 'And now we wait …'

I sat down on the muddy ground, my knees pulled up to my chest and my head resting on my arms. It was a few minutes before Harry and Hermione joined me. I had a feeling that they were unsure of what to say to me about everything that had happened tonight, about how I felt about watching my father get brutally attacked by his friend before being captured once more. Eventually they sat down beside me as we watched and waited. Time began to tick by, minute by agonisingly slow minute. I sat silent and still, my eyes never leaving the Willow.

'Harry, there's something I don't understand …' said Hermione after a while. 'Why didn't the Dementors get Sirius? I heard Madam Pomfrey saying that you were all passed out by the time Snape found you but the Dementors had fled before they'd … you know …'

A shiver ran down my spine, knowing all too well what she meant.

'Down by the lake,' began Harry, 'the Dementors just kept attacking us. Jenna had passed out and I kept trying to cast a Patronus to protect us but there was too many of them. One after another they attacked us until one of them got close enough to me to lower its hood, and I saw its mouth. It was going to take my soul. Then, across the lake, I saw something. It looked like some kind of animal, all bright and glowing. There were two of them, and they charged across the lake at us forcing the Dementors to retreat. Whatever it was saved us.'

I glanced at Harry. Large silver animals? Could it be …?

'But what was it?' asked Hermione, her eyes wide in shock.

'There's only one thing it could have been, to make the Dementors go,' said Harry confidently. 'A real Patronus. A powerful one.'

'But who conjured it?' Harry didn't respond. 'Didn't you see what they looked like?' persisted Hermione. 'Was it one of the teachers?'

'No,' said Harry. 'They weren't teachers.'

'They?' I repeated.

'There was someone else further back,' replied Harry. 'I think they were helping him, whoever _he_ was …'

'But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away … If the Patronuses were shining so brightly, didn't it light whoever it was up? Couldn't you see –?'

'Yeah, I saw one of them, a man,' said Harry slowly. 'But … maybe I imagined it … I wasn't thinking straight … I passed out right afterwards …'

' _Who did you think it was?_ ' insisted Hermione.

'I think –' Harry swallowed, 'I think it was my Dad.'

I blinked, then said, 'Your dad? But Harry –'

Hermione too looked lost for words, 'Harry, your dad's – well – dead.'

'I know that,' said Harry quickly.

'You think you saw his ghost?'

'I don't know … no … he looked solid …'

'But then –'

'Maybe I was seeing things,' shrugged Harry. 'But … from what I could see … it looked like him … I've got photos of him …'

I stared at Harry curiously, then said, 'Lupin always said you looked like him.' Harry smiled.

'I know it sounds mad,' he then said but he left his sentence unfinished.

I watched Harry carefully for a few more seconds then looked back towards the Whomping Willow.

An hour had soon past and still there was no movement from the Willow. While the other two talked quietly between each other, I sat there in silence. My thoughts were replaying everything that happened in the Shrieking Shack almost as if it was giving me a blow-by-blow recount of the events of tonight. As if I needed reminding. They then moved on to thoughts of what could happen next. How were we going to save Dad? Did we just have to watch and wait? Or do we try to get to Dad before Snape finds us? A million questions were rushing through my head. I let out a frustrated breath and rubbed my forehead.

'Here we come!'

I looked up when Hermione spoke. The three of us got to our feet, all watching the Whomping Willow for any sign of movement. From the depths of the tree roots I saw myself climb out of the secret passageway beneath it, followed shortly by Lupin, Pettigrew, Ron and the others. They began to walk towards the castle, the shadowy figures of Dad and myself stopping to talk to each other. I felt my throat constrict. That was the moment I had told him I was his daughter, the moment we were introduced to each other for the first time. Beside me, Hermione warned Harry once again that we couldn't be seen, which unsurprisingly he didn't like. Reluctantly I tore my eyes away from the scene before me and looked into the sky. The cloud slowly shifted and revealed the full moon. Its light bathed the grounds in a bright glow. My body tensed as I stood there and watched Lupin transform all over again, as Dad and I fought against him and he tossed us around like toys, and as Pettigrew broke free of his binds and escaped amongst the chaos. The werewolf threw me aside before attacking Dad once more.

'There goes Lupin,' breathed Hermione, also watching the fight.

I winced each time I saw the werewolf swiped at the dog, its claws creating deep wounds in its fur. I couldn't stand how useless I felt. Dad was being beaten viciously. He could get killed if we didn't do something to distract the werewolf. I blinked. _Distract the werewolf_ , I thought. That's it! I remember the werewolf getting distracted by the howl from another werewolf. Not sure if it would work, I concentrated on how the werewolf's howl sounded as if I hoped thinking about it enough would allow me to replicate the sound through my abilities; I put my hands round my mouth and took a deep breath, letting out a long howl to attract Lupin's attention. Harry and Hermione looked at me, startled by my actions clearly drawing attention to us when we were meant to stay hidden. Harry grabbed me, covering my mouth with his hand.

'What are you doing?' hissed Harry.

'Saving our lives,' I replied, freeing myself. 'He's a werewolf. They only respond to the call of their own kind. I've lived with Lupin for three years now, I know what I'm doing!' and I howled again.

My howls did the job. I saw the werewolf look away from the dog, it's head raised in the sky. It howled in reply. With its attention drawn away from the dog, the werewolf ran off down the hill. Straight towards us … Oops.

'Great, now it's coming for us,' said Harry.

'Yeah, didn't think about that,' I replied. 'Run!'

We had mere seconds before the werewolf would reach us at the speed it could run. Quickly Hermione released Buckbeak's chain from the tree it was attached to.

'Quick!' she gasped. 'Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment –'

'Back to Hagrid's!' shouted Harry. 'It's empty now – come on!'

Buckbeak free, the three of us ran off back through the Forest towards Hagrid's Hut. Behind us I could hear the sound of the werewolf ripping through the bushes and trees, getting closer with every second. I kept glancing behind me knowing at any moment it would burst through them and attack us. With less than a second to think, I made my decision and skidded to a stop.

'What are you doing?' Harry shouted. 'Jenna, run!'

'Get to Hagrid's!' I shouted back. 'Leave the werewolf to me!'

'Jenna, don't –!'

I didn't listen as I'd already transformed back into the wolf and sprinted off in the opposite direction to where Harry, Hermione and Buckbeak were heading. A glance behind me and I saw a flash of grey fur through the trees. I stopped long enough to let out another howl to attract its attention. The werewolf stopped when it heard me. It raised its head to follow the sound then ran in the direction I had gone. I darted off, leading the werewolf as far away from Hagrid's Hut. I ran as fast as I could but I knew the werewolf was faster. It was going to catch me any minute. I barely had a second to think about what to do. Not knowing if it would work, I skidded to a halt and turned around. I cleared my mind and returned to my human form, quickly transforming once more but into a much larger animal this time. A palomino horse with a cream coloured coat and a brilliant golden mane and tail, exactly like the one Mum used to transform into, hoping there might be the slightest chance it would recognise it. I stood ready just as the werewolf appeared in front of me. It charged full speed towards me but I stood my ground. The werewolf leapt. I reared up on my hind legs and brayed loudly. I used my front hooves to block the werewolf's attack, knocking it to the ground. It snarled at me then attempted to attack once more. I stomped with my hooves to keep it back, finally kicking it hard in the face with my back hooves. The werewolf was thrown back with a whimper, and finally it scarpered off into the trees. With the werewolf gone I changed back.

'Poor Lupin's having a really tough night,' I breathed. I felt guilty for what I had done but I knew it had been necessary. Still, with the werewolf now deep in the Forest, I ran off through the Forest but not to Hagrid's. Instead I ran off towards the secluded part of the lake where I knew Dad would probably now be.

I sprinted through the Forest, my heart now hammering hard in my chest and I was desperate for breath but the adrenaline kept me going. I pushed my way through the low branches and weaved through the tree trunks searching for it. It was only when I felt the chill of the Dementors overhead that I knew I was getting close. I followed the unsettling feeling as it deepened until I reached the clearing to find Harry was already there. On the opposite shore I saw Dad, Harry and myself all fighting to stay alive as the Dementors attacked us. Harry was struggling to fight them back, the wisps of his Patronus barely holding them at bay. I walked up to stand beside Harry. He didn't look at me nor did I look at him, the both of us watching ourselves across the water.

'Come on,' breathed Harry. 'Where are you? Dad, come on …'

But Harry's dad wasn't there. I stared at the sight before me.

'We're dying …' I said quietly. It was strange watching it happen before us. 'All of us …'

'He'll come,' said Harry again. 'Dad'll come.'

'Harry, he can't,' I said. 'The only way he could be here was if –' and suddenly it all fell into place.

Harry and I looked at each other, sharing the same shocked look as we realised who had saved us. It hadn't been Harry's father or a teacher – it had been _us!_ We were watching ourselves now because we'd _saved_ ourselves before! That other Patronus Harry must have seen was mine. But I had never conjured a Patronus before, no matter how much Lupin tried to help me learn it. The only time I had was by accident because I'd been in danger, almost as if I'd willed myself to produce one. Whether I could repeat the accident, I wouldn't know until I tried.

Harry and I burst out from behind the bush and drew our wands. I brought up the strange memory from before, of me and my parents happy and healthy, hoping and willing myself to power the spell. With one voice, we shouted –

' _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ '

A bright light burst from the ends of mine and Harry's wands. Two Patronuses, both full and solid, exploded from our wand tips in a blinding flash of light in the form of two large silver animals. Together they charged over the lake towards the other us. They pushed back the Dementors causing them to flee in every direction back into the sky, cantering round the lake and emanating a powerful shield to protect us. As I watched I realised why Harry had thought it was his dad who had conjured the Patronus. Not only because he looked like his father, but because of what form his Patronus took: a stag. Prongs. Side by side with the stag cantered my own Patronus, a beautiful mare, representing my own Mum. With the Dementors gone, the stag and horse returned to us. I smiled at the sight of them, a reassuring warmth inside me at their presence. They stood together, a strange silvery form that seemed to be made up of wisps of light and air. The horse pawed the ground with its hoof while the stag bowed its antlered head.

' _Prongs_ ,' said Harry.

'Yeah,' I breathed. 'And Hooves.'

Harry made to reach out to Prongs. But before his fingers could touch it, they vanished.

' _What did you do?_ ' screamed Hermione's voice. I spun round to see her and Buckbeak hurrying over to us. 'You said you were only going to keep a lookout!'

'I just saved our lives …' said Harry. 'Get behind here – behind this bush – I'll explain.'

The three of us moved away from the bank and back into the protection of the trees. I glanced behind me at the other us, glad to see that we were all right. While Harry explained to Hermione about what had happened, I watched as a dark figure rushed down the hill towards where we were all collapsed. It was Snape. He must have regained consciousness. Behind him came a still-standing Hermione and an unconscious Ron floated on a stretcher. He knelt down on the ground and started to check over Harry and myself before moving on to Dad. No doubt he'd be conjuring some sort of restraints for him before he takes us back up to the castle.

'Harry, I can't believe it – you both conjured Patronuses that drove away all those Dementors!' said Hermione, clearly impressed by it. 'That's very, _very_ advanced magic …'

'I knew I could do it this time,' said Harry, 'because I'd already done it … Does that make sense?'

'I don't know – Harry, look at Snape!'

Snape conjured more stretchers for our unconscious forms and Levitated are bodies on to them while Hermione watched. With his wand held out in front of him, Snape lifted up the three stretchers carrying us and guided them in front of him. The floated back up the hill and the group disappeared from view. I let go of the branch I'd been holding to see them, then pocketed my wand. Now it was only a matter of time before we had to pull off the most insane rescue of the night.

'Right, it's nearly time,' said Hermione. She checked her watch. 'We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the Hospital Wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back to the ward before anybody realises we're missing …'

'How will we know when Sirius is in the Tower?' asked Harry.

'I can see to that,' I replied. Harry and Hermione gave me a curious look. 'I can transform into a bird and fly up to the Tower to keep watch. Dad's going to see me before we leave the Hospital Wing. I can wait outside the window to see when I'm gone and alert you two when the coast is clear and you can rescue him with Buckbeak.'

'Jenna,' started Harry, unsure, 'are you sure you're up to it? You've – you're still injured from earlier.'

I glanced at the bandages on my chest. The scars beneath them had stung every time I'd transformed tonight.

'I'll be fine,' I said.

I cleared my thoughts and transformed. With a flap of my new wings, I flew off as an owl back towards the castle.

I soared through the night sky around the tall towers of the castle. Very few lights were left illuminated this late in the evening and the building was dark and silent. I weaved between the tall pointed roofs and over the bridges and courtyards until I found the West Tower. A single window glowed brightly through the darkness. That had to be Flitwick's office, where they were keeping Dad. I flapped my wings to speed up. I reached the Tower window and landed carefully on the sill. I hopped forwards and peered inside. It seems like I was just in time. Dumbledore was just telling me we had to leave and pulling me from Dad's arms. He paused briefly to hear Dad out then turned his back and we left. Hoping that Harry and Hermione were somewhere nearby on Buckbeak, I flew off in search for them so we could get Dad out of there.

I found them flying nearby the North Tower. I swooped over to them to gain their attention then led the way back to the West Tower. When we reached it Harry halted Buckbeak until they were hovering a few feet from the window. Harry reached out and rapped on the glass. I saw Dad's head appear through the glass, his jaw dropping open at the sight of us. Hermione, who was clearly not enjoying riding Buckbeak considering how tightly she was holding on to Harry, pulled out her wand and opened the window. I shot through it and transformed, landing back in human form with a thump on the floor.

'Jenna – how –?'

'Now's not the time,' I said over him. 'We need to go!'

'Get on – there's not much time,' called Harry. 'You've got to get out of here – the Dementors are coming. Macnair's gone to get them.'

I pushed Dad over to the window. He placed his hands on either side of the frame and hauled himself up on to the sill. Carefully Harry edged Buckbeak closer. Dad reached out and grabbed on to Buckbeak's makeshift reins then swung his leg on to Buckbeak's rear so that he was sat behind Hermione. Harry kicked his heels. Buckbeak flapped his massive wings and they rose upwards and away from the window. Quickly I pulled myself on to the sill, carefully balancing myself so I could turn round and pull it closed again behind me. I then transformed back into an owl to follow the others. They had landed on the Tower's battlements. I flew over to them and landed to transform once more. Dad looked amazed to see us all, hugging me even tighter than he had before.

'I'll be forever grateful for this,' said Dad, releasing me after a few moments, 'to all of you.'

'Thank us later,' said Harry. 'Sirius, you'd better go, quick. They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you've gone.'

'What happened to the other boy? Ron?' asked Sirius.

'He's going to be OK – he's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick – go!'

Harry handed Buckbeak's reins to Dad. Before I could stop myself, I heard myself speak the words I was holding in.

'I want to go with you,' I said. I swallowed, immediately hearing just how stupid I sounded. I lowered my eyes, not wanting to see the looks Harry and Hermione had to be giving me. I could feel Dad's eyes upon me as he took in my bold statement. He handed Buckbeak's reins back to Hermione then approached me. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and another touch my face.

'One day, perhaps,' said Sirius gently. He knelt down in front of me. 'For some time, my life will be too unpredictable. Besides, your meant to be here.'

'But you're innocent –' I began but Dad stopped me.

'And you know it,' said Sirius. 'And for now, that will do.'

Dad stood up. He looked between Harry and me, his grey eyes observing us both, his child and godson. I glanced at Harry; never had I felt so separate from him when the strongest connection between us stood before us. Dad turned to Harry, bending down in front of him as he had with me. He held Harry's face, raising it to look at it closely.

'I expect you're tired of hearing this,' said Sirius, smiling, 'but you look so like your father. Except your eyes. You have –'

'– my mother's eyes,' said Harry, smiling just as broadly. Dad laughed then stood up. Next he spoke to both us, taking our hands.

'It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily and you so little, and with Tala too,' said Sirius. 'But know this: the ones that love us never really leave us.' I started slightly at those words; they were the same words Lupin had said to me too. 'And you can always find them in here.' Dad touched our hands to our chests over our hearts. I felt mine lift slightly at the thought. I guess he was right. But even so I couldn't help the sad look on my face or how I felt about him leaving again.

'I've only just got you back,' I told him. 'Please don't leave me again.'

'You know I must,' replied Sirius, his tone soft in comparison to hours earlier. Once again he held my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. 'You're so your mother's daughter, Jenna. Soon I'll be back and be able to explain, but for now, you must stay with Remus. Just keep that spark inside you,' Dad told me, winking as he said it, 'that reckless bravery I know so well.'

I swallowed and nodded.

Dad smiled one last time. He climbed on to Buckbeak's back and held the reins tightly in his hands. Hermione stepped back from Buckbeak to give them a clear space to take off.

'You really are the brightest witch of your age,' he said. Hermione smiled at the compliment.

Dad looked up into the night's sky. With a kick of his heels Buckbeak squawked, rearing up on to his hind legs. He spread his enormous wings and took off at a run. They soared high into the sky, a dark form growing smaller and smaller until they could no longer be seen. They were gone.

'Harry! Jenna!' gasped Hermione. She was looking at her watch. 'We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the Hospital Wing without anybody seeing us – before Dumbledore locks the door –'

'OK,' said Harry, 'let's go …'

At the top of the battlements was a single door leading back inside from the platform. Quickly we slipped through the door and down the tightly spiralling staircase until we reached the lower corridor that would take us past Flitwick's office and back to the Hospital Wing. At the bottom Harry stopped us, holding his arm out so we were flattened against the wall. We could hear voices. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They must be on their way to Flitwick's office to get Dad.

'… only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties,' Snape was saying. 'The Kiss will be performed immediately?'

'As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors,' confirmed Fudge. 'This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the _Daily Prophet_ that we've got him at last … I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape … and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the _Prophet_ exactly how you saved him …'

I frowned but let their comments wash over me, considering I knew Dad was safe, even if he was once again on the run. It didn't stop me, however, wanting to see the looks on their faces when they found the office empty and they realised Dad had escaped. Harry peered round the corner of the corridor entrance to check if the coast was clear. Snape and Fudge had passed by where we were hidden, their footsteps echoing away down the corridor to Flitwick's office. With them gone, the three of us came out of hiding and ran back the way they'd come. We tore through the empty corridors and down the silent staircases, diverting only briefly into a classroom to avoid Peeves who was bouncing along the fourth floor corridor just before the Hospital Wing. Once we were sure he was gone, we ran down the corridor, only one last staircase separating us from the ward.

'Hermione – what'll happen – if we don't get back inside – before Dumbledore locks the door?' panted Harry.

'I don't want to think about it!' Hermione replied. 'One minute!'

We dashed up the staircase. Only a few feet left.

'OK – I can hear Dumbledore,' said Hermione. 'Come on!'

We slowed our run to a fast walk, moving as quickly and as quietly as we could. I could see the Hospital Wing door before us. It opened and out stepped Dumbledore with his back to us.

'I am going to lock you in,' I heard him say, speaking to the us inside the ward. 'It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.'

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door and took out his wand to lock it. Quickly Harry, Hermione and I ran forwards to stop him. Dumbledore heard our footsteps and looked round. His smiled when he saw us, his silver moustache twitching with delight.

'Well?'

'We did it!' said Harry breathlessly. 'Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak …'

Dumbledore beamed.

'Well done,' he said brightly. 'I think –' he listened for any sound coming from inside the Hospital Wing. 'Yes, I think you've gone, too. Get inside – I'll lock you in –'

Harry, Hermione and I slipped back inside the Hospital Wing. It was empty apart from Ron lying in his bed and Madam Pomfrey was still in her office. The doors shut behind us, and the locked clicked shut. Harry, Hermione and I crept over to our beds and got back into them. I lay down so it looked like I had given up on my earlier protests. I set my face to look downcast, making sure I looked like I would have no idea about Dad's escape. I lay there silent with my head on my pillow and my eyes averted from everything else. I heard the door of Madam Pomfrey's office open.

'Did I hear the Headmaster leaving?' she asked, striding back up the aisle between the beds. 'Am I allowed to look after my patients now?'

I made sure not to respond to her handing me some chocolate to solidify my despondent state at the idea of my Dad's impending execution. She left it on my bedside table then went to treat Harry and Hermione. Suddenly in the distance I heard a roar of fury echo from somewhere above us. Instantly I sat up to imitate shock at what the noise was. Harry and Hermione were doing the same, looking around with confusion on their faces. Madam Pomfrey looked astounded by the new disturbance.

'What was that?' she asked in alarm.

Angry voices were growing louder and louder. They were getting nearer to the Hospital Wing.

'Really – they'll wake everybody up! what do they think they're doing?'

I listened, trying to pick out what the voices were saying, but made sure to keep the confused look on my face.

'He must have Disapparated, Severus, we should have left someone in the room with him. When this gets out –'

'HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!' roared Snape's voice. 'YOU CAN'T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS – HAS – SOMETHING – TO – DO – WITH – POTTER!'

I looked across at Harry, again making sure I looked surprised at Snape's words, just as the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open.

'OUT WITH IT, POTTER!' bellowed Snape. He stormed into the Hospital Wing, his face set with fury. Fudge and Dumbledore came striding in after him, Fudge looking flustered with the new development while Dumbledore looked remarkably calm. In fact, it almost looked like he was enjoying himself. Snape strode up to Harry's bed, his black eyes focused on Harry with the greatest hatred in them I'd ever seen. 'WHAT DID YOU DO?'

'Professor Snape!' shrieked Madam Pomfrey. 'Control yourself!'

'See here, Snape, be reasonable,' said Fudge. 'This door's been locked, we just saw –'

'THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!' shouted Snape.

'Calm down, man!' barked Fudge. 'You're talking nonsense!'

'YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!' bellowed Snape. 'HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT, HIM AND BLACK'S DAUGHTER –' he yelled, pointing between Harry and myself.

'That will do, Severus,' said Dumbledore quietly. 'Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?'

'Of course not!' said Madam Pomfrey. 'I've been with them ever since you left!'

'Well, there you have it, Severus,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Unless you're suggesting that Harry and Jenna are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further.'

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behaviour, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, his black robes sweeping behind him, and stormed out the ward.

'Fellow seems quite unbalanced,' said Fudge, staring after him. 'I'd watch out for him, if I were you, Dumbledore.'

'Oh, he's not unbalanced,' said Dumbledore. 'He's just suffered a severe disappointment.'

'He's not the only one!' puffed Fudge. 'The _Daily Prophet's_ going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! all it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughing stock! Well … I'd better go and notify the Ministry …'

'And the Dementors?' said Dumbledore. 'They'll be removed from the school, I trust?'

'Oh, yes,' muttered Fudge, 'they'll have to go. Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on innocent children … completely out of control … No, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight. Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance …'

'Hagrid would like that,' said Dumbledore, and I saw him give Harry, Hermione and I a very quick smile.

Fudge and Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing, Fudge still muttering about the humiliation he and the Ministry would face at Black's escape. Madam Pomfrey made sure to lock the door behind them so no one else could disturb us. Muttering angrily to herself about all the interruptions tonight, she went back into her office. From the opposite side of the ward to me I heard a low moan. Ron had finally woken up. He sat up dazedly and looked around, rubbing his obviously aching head as he asked what's going on. With everything over, I didn't reply, instead lying back down in my bed to go to sleep, as I heard Harry's reply.

'You explain, Hermione.'

The next day I was impatient to be allowed to leave the Hospital Wing. I had to find Lupin and find out if he was all right. Madam Pomfrey finally discharged the four of us (albeit reluctantly with me considering my injuries) at noon. I left straight away without waiting for the others and headed straight for the Dart Arts Tower. The castle was deserted now that the stress of exams had ended and the majority of students were taking advantage of the sunshine down in Hogsmeade. It meant I was there in a matter of minutes, climbing the long spiralling staircase to the top of the Tower, walking through the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and up the small staircase at the back to his office. The door was ajar. I peered round it. Lupin was sat in his desk chair, his head back and eyes closed. I noticed his office wasn't in its usual organised state and his trunk was standing open in the corner. It looked like he was packing.

 _No_ , I thought as I realised why.

'Lupin?' I spoke quietly in case he had a headache.

Lupin sat up and opened his eyes. A look of relief seemed to sweep over him. He heaved himself to his feet and walked over to me, using his desk to steady himself. Quickly I went to steady him so he wouldn't fall over. The moment we reached each other, Lupin fell to his knees and pulled me into his arms. He held me so tightly that I almost winced at the pressure it was putting on the scars on my chest. I felt his hand stroke the back of my head and I could hear him muttering something I couldn't quite hear. When Lupin finally released me, I was stunned to see tears in his eyes. They examined my face, taking in the scratches on my cheek.

'I'm so sorry,' breathed Lupin, pushing back my hair to see the scars. 'I never meant to put you in danger last night.'

'Lupin, it's OK,' I told him. 'You didn't hurt anyone –'

'Jenna, I hurt _you_ ,' said Lupin firmly. 'I'm meant to protect you –'

'– and I had to protect the others,' I said over him. 'Dad was too weak to stop you on his own. I had to do something.'

Lupin closed his eyes, a sigh escaping him.

'You really are like your mother,' he said, 'the same reckless bravery.'

'I know, Dad said so too.' I looked round Lupin's office a second time. I could see his books were in piles out of their shelves and there were stacks of paperwork on his desk. 'You've resigned, haven't you?' I then asked.

'I had to.' Lupin heaved himself to his feet and walked unsteadily back to his desk.

'But you're the best teacher we've ever had!'

'Jenna, it's dangerous. I could have killed any one of you last night. The number of times I could have killed you in the past –' Lupin stopped, clearly not wanting that thought in his head. 'Besides, it seems that the loss of his Order of Merlin hit Severus quite hard.'

'What d'you mean?' I asked.

'He let slip that I'm a werewolf this morning at breakfast. It'll be a matter of hours until parents learn from their children what I am as well.'

A swift rush of anger at Snape's actions for exposing Lupin for what he was. However, I knew how Lupin felt about putting others at risk because of being a werewolf and so I didn't argue in his decision. So I helped Lupin pack up his office and gather his things together so he could leave as soon as possible. He sorted through his possessions, emptying his shelves and drawers, and packed them into various cases that would later be sent on to Moonlake. As I took the parchment out of his desk drawers I came across a large old scrap I recognised: the Marauder's Map. Lupin took it from me, laid it open on top of his desk and activated it. I didn't ask why but it seemed like he was waiting for someone to appear either welcome or not. As we worked Lupin did have an important question for me; he had heard about the Dementors attacking Harry and me down by the lake and about the Patronuses that have saved us. Lupin was impressed that both of us managed to produce such powerful charms.

'I don't know how I did it,' I shrugged when he asked. 'I just remember wanting to save us and it worked.'

'They say, like with all magic, that belief in oneself and your abilities can make a lot of difference,' said Lupin. 'A wizard's will is a powerful thing after all.'

Lupin's suspicion that someone was going to visit his office was confirmed. A short while after I arrived the door to Lupin's office was pushed back to reveal Harry standing there. His eyes took in the scene before him of Lupin's office in disarray. Before he could knock Lupin had turned around to greet him. I stayed silent, still unsure about what to say to Harry. We had yet to speak about the events of last night as I had left the Hospital Wing before he could speak to me, nor had he made any effort yet to do so.

'I saw you coming,' he told Harry, pointing at the Marauder's Map lying open on his desk. Harry stepped inside the office but I could see the apprehension on his face. Lupin must have too, as he then said, 'I've looked worse, believe me.'

'I just saw Hagrid,' said Harry. 'And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?'

'I'm afraid it is,' said Lupin. He flicked his wand at a small chest. Its drawer slid inside and the doors on it swung shut. Lupin then turned to the fire to throw some ripped up parchment into the flames.

'Why?' asked Harry. 'The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?'

Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Harry.

'No, Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives. The fact Jenna was implied to be a key victim in last night's events meant that it was a bit easier to convince Fudge I was not on Black's side.' He sighed. 'That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of his Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he – er – _accidentally_ let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast.'

'You're not leaving because of that!' said Harry, shocked.

Lupin smiled wryly. He zipped up his briefcase then placed it on the floor.

'This time tomorrow the owls will start arriving from parents – they will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you – injured Jenna more than I did … that must never happen again.'

'But Dumbledore –'

'Dumbledore has already risked enough on my behalf. Besides, people like me are … well, let's just say I'm used to it by now.'

Lupin flicked his wand again. His open trunk sprang to life. Books slotted into place, shoes and clothes folden themselves away beneath a protector, the lid swung shut and the locks clicked shut.

'You're the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!' said Harry. 'Don't go!'

Lupin didn't respond. With a few more flicks of his wand the rest of his things packed themselves away. Once that was complete, Lupin finally spoke again.

'From what the Headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything, it's how much you've learned. Tell me about your Patronus.'

'How d'you know about that?' said Harry.

'What else could have driven the Dementors back?'

'When I was down by the lake, I saw someone appear. He conjured a Patronus that saved me, Jenna and Sirius. I – well – at first I thought it was my Dad. When Hermione, Jenna and I went back in time, we watched as the Dementors attacked the other us. I realised as I stood there I couldn't have seen my Dad and that I saw myself and that I conjured the Patronus. Because I'd already seen it, I knew I could do it this time. It's form was a stag, like my Dad.'

Lupin smiled.

'Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed,' said Lupin. 'You guessed right … that's why we called him Prongs.'

Harry nodded, however, he still had a dejected look on his face.

'Why do you look so miserable, Harry?' asked Lupin.

Harry sighed, then said, 'None of it made any difference. Pettigrew escaped.'

'Didn't make any difference?' repeated Lupin, surprised. 'Harry, it made all the difference in the world. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate. It made a great deal of difference, and in time you'll see just how much.'

Lupin bent to pick up his suitcase. Next, he pulled something from his robe pocket, a long silvery piece of material: Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

'Here – I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night. And …' Lupin hesitated, then picked up the Marauder's Map from his desk, 'I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving this back as well, as long as you share it with Jenna. Her mother and father helped write it after all. It's no use to me, and I daresay the two of you will find uses for it.'

Harry took the Map. A grin was spread across his face.

'You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school … you said they'd have thought it was funny.'

'And so we would have done,' said Lupin. He placed down his wand to pick up his travelling cloak, slung it across his arm, then picked up and pocketed his wand. 'I have no hesitation in saying that James and Sirius would have been highly disappointed if their children had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle.'

There was a knock at the door. It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprise to see either Harry or me there. He informed Lupin that his carriage had arrived. Lupin said goodbye to Harry and turned to leave. I did so too, wanting to make sure he was OK getting down to the Entrance Hall. It saddened me that Lupin had been forced to give up a job he clearly loved so much but for people like him there was very little option. I now fully understood why werewolves were loathed so much but at the same time I hated how much bad attention they received for a condition that wasn't there fault and the person was as much a victim of it as anyone else. With Lupin safely in his carriage, I waved goodbye knowing I'd see him when term had ended.

I didn't see Harry again for the rest of the day. I didn't return to the Gryffindor Tower after seeing Lupin off, nor did I go into the grounds or to the Library for some peace and quiet. I found myself wandering around the castle, going through silent corridor and staircase without much thought as to where I was heading, until I found myself up in the Astronomy Tower. I stepped out on to the platform and stared out into the grounds. The sun was shining brightly in the distance, a beautifully clear and warm summer's day. I rested my arms on the wall of the platform, content to stay there until dinner in the peace and quiet. I wasn't sure how Harry ended up finding me, whether he had been purposefully looking for me or not, but a short while after I arrived I had heard footsteps approach me and I turned round to see him standing awkwardly behind me.

'Hey,' was all he said.

'Hey,' I replied.

There was an awkward silence between us. While I did have things I wanted to say to Harry, I wasn't the one who had shunned their friend for the best part of a year and who needed to apologise for their actions. I waited to see if Harry would swallow his pride and admit that he had been wrong. He seemed to stand there not knowing what to say or do. So, to try and make it a bit easier for him, I took the first step.

'Thank you for saving my Dad,' I said quietly.

'Well I couldn't –' Harry started, 'I couldn't let that happen to Sirius.' I nodded. Harry seemed to hesitate. Then, finally, he couldn't stop the words coming from him and burst, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you.'

I raised my eyebrow, curious to see if he'd say anything else.

'I should have listen to you,' continued Harry. 'I shouldn't have been so stubborn. If I'd have just listened then maybe Pettigrew wouldn't have got away and Sirius's name could have been cleared. He wouldn't have to be on the run again. I'm sorry I let my anger cloud my judgement and I'm sorry it ruined our friendship.'

I thought through Harry's words before I replied.

'Yes, you should have,' I said. Harry stared at me, taken about by my blunt response. But that was the thing about the nature of our friendship; we could both be brutally honest with each other having known each other for so long. 'You shouldn't have jumped to conclusions based on information spread by rumour and tabloids. You shouldn't have judged me because of who my father was. I had my reasons why I didn't tell you, because I wanted to find out as much as I could about what happened from the people who knew him best – my Mum – before I told you who he was, so this wouldn't happen. You should have trusted me.'

'Jenna, I do trust you,' insisted Harry. 'I trust you more than anyone.'

'Then why did you do it?'

'Because …' Harry began, 'for years I wondered what my parents had done to be murdered by Voldemort. Whether they were killed just because they were there and refused to join his followers, or because it was for some other reason. To hear that their best friend handed them over to him – it gave me someone to blame for their murder. And while I couldn't do anything about Voldemort, I could get revenge on Black thinking he was the one responsible. Make him pay for what he did to them.'

I thought through Harry's words, feeling a sense of understanding of how he'd felt. I remembered back to when I first met Lucius Malfoy and I realised he'd been the white-haired Death Eater who'd killed my Mum. I had wanted to attack him, shout and scream his crime out loud, but I had done nothing knowing that my protests would go unnoticed. Even so, I understood how Harry had felt when he blamed Dad for James and Lily's deaths, as I had blamed Malfoy. It showed a difference between Harry and myself though, a difference that in time I saw just how much it balanced the two of us out and made our friendship as strong as it was.

'Do you think killing him would have solved anything though?' I asked.

'No.' Harry shook his head. 'I know that now.'

The corner of my lip lifted into a small smile from Harry's apology. To show that I forgave him, I walked over to him. I put my arms around him and gave him a hug. At first Harry seemed taken aback by my gesture but soon he was hugging me back, our friendship restored. We broke apart a few moments later.

'So are we good?' he asked.

'We're good,' I replied, smiling. Harry beamed.

As the end of term approached, rumours flew around the castle as people tried to work out what had happened that night that the wild Hippogriff and escaped murderer had escaped. None of them were anywhere close to the truth. Malfoy was understandably furious Buckbeak had got away and was convinced Hagrid had something to do with it but one of the facts that was true was that Hagrid had been with Fudge the entire time and so couldn't be implicated. Percy also had a lot to say on the subject, if only people would listen to him, which not many would apart from his girlfriend, Penelope. But for all the cheerful atmosphere and sunny weather, I couldn't really enjoy that end-of-term feeling. Lupin had lost his job and Dad was on the run again. For all the good things that had happened, I felt somewhat deflated by the whole experience.

Our exam results came out on the last day of term. I was pleased to see Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had all passed our exams although I was surprised my Potions mark had remained as high as it was. After Dad's escape I'd had a suspicion that my Potions mark might suffer if Snape was feeling vindictive enough. Then again, he had got Lupin to resign so maybe that was revenge enough. It didn't stop me noticing Snape's dislike for Harry and myself had increased an alarming amount; you certainly couldn't miss the muscle twitching in his jaw whenever he saw the two of us. It was probably a good thing the summer holidays were just round the corner. Percy got top marks in all his N.E. while Fred and George both managed to pass a handful of O. . Finally, the end-of-term feast was decorated with banners of scarlet and gold as Gryffindor once again took the House Cup, largely thanks to the final Quidditch match against Slytherin that we'd won despite all the dirty tactics that had been involved.

The following morning I packed my remaining things back into my trunk and left it in my dormitory to be taken down to the Hogwarts Express. Hermione and I met Harry and Ron in the common room and we walked together down to the station along with the rest of the school. We made our way through the crowds until we found an emptier carriage where we got on and found a compartment to ourselves. We settled down in the seats for the journey back, a reassuring thought that at least this time we wouldn't be invaded by Dementors. As the train pulled away from the station, Hermione broke the silence to give us some unexpected news.

'I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning,' she told us, 'just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies.'

'But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!' said Ron.

'I know,' sighed Hermione, 'but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal timetable again.'

'I still can't _believe_ you didn't tell us about it,' said Ron grumpily. 'We're supposed to be your _friends_.'

I glanced at Ron out of the corner of my eye when he said that. I think we'd had more than enough of what we should tell each other just because we were friends; some things need to be kept private after all.

'I promised I wouldn't tell _anyone_ ,' said Hermione. 'Oh, cheer up, Harry!' she then said.

I looked round to see Harry staring solemnly out of the window.

'I'm OK,' said Harry quickly. 'Just thinking about the holidays.'

'Yeah, I've been thinking about them, too,' said Ron. 'Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now –'

'A _telephone_ , Ron,' groaned Hermione. 'Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year …'

Unsurprisingly, Ron ignored her.

'It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer!' Ron continued. 'How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work.'

'Yeah … I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come … especially after what I did to Aunt Marge …'

The train journey passed by in the way it always did. Harry and Ron whiled away the hours playing several games of Exploding Snap while Hermione, who had clearly been bursting to ask since she first found out, questioned me about being an Animagus. It was slightly unnerving how interested she was in what I could do. Even the boys paused their game long enough to hear me to explain about how I was different from normal Animagi like McGonagall but the same principles were involved, just that I could change into more than one animal.

'So, you don't have one particular form?' Hermione asked, her eyes wide. 'You just have to think of what you want to transform into and you will?'

'Pretty much,' I shrugged. 'I mean, its not as easy as that, but I have my favourites. I always transform into a wolf when I'm with Lupin during the full moons. But generally I just transform into whatever won't be noticed. It's not about flaunting what I can do so when I do use it, it's either to be an animal that is suitable for the situation I'm in or one that won't look out of place. Lupin taught me that I had to keep what I can do secret. There are too many people out there who wouldn't understand and just see me as some sort of … freak.'

'Is that why you didn't tell us?' asked Harry. I nodded.

'Remember when you found out Lupin was a werewolf?' I said. 'How you felt? Disgusted to have trusted someone whose reputation in the wizarding world is marred by others like him? It's the same for me. Unlike you, the Ministry doesn't see me as a human. I'm still a witch, but I'm in the same group as werewolves, goblins, even some giants. I'm the lowest of the low in acceptable beings. I'm a half-breed, all because of some genetic abnormality from my ancestors, which means I can be viewed as a danger to others. That's why I didn't tell you, because what I am or what I can do shouldn't matter.'

Hermione was about to respond when something caught her eye outside.

'Harry, what's that thing outside your window?'

I followed her gaze to see something very small and very fluffy bobbing in and out of sight behind the glass. It looked like a tiny owl and it seemed to be carrying a letter that was way too big for it to do so. Adding into account how small it was and that it was flying as fast as it could to keep up with the train, it wasn't surprising that it kept getting thrown off course by the drag caused by the train. Quickly Harry opened the window and grabbed the tiny owl. Once inside it dropped its letter then proceeded to zoom about the compartment like a tiny fluffy bullet, evidently proud in successfully completing its delivery. Above us, Hedwig clicked her beak disapprovingly at the little owl's undignified behaviour. I, however, found it quite amusing and the owl was very cute indeed. It also got the attention of Crookshanks, who sat up in the seat beside Hermione. Noticing this, Ron snatched the owl safely out of harms way.

Harry picked up the letter and turned it over. Both mine and Harry's names were on the front.

'It's from Sirius!' shouted Harry, ripping it open and pulling out the contents. My eyes read its words, seeing that there were bits directed at Harry while other bits were directed at me.

 _Dear Harry and Jenna,  
_ _I hope this finds you both before you reach Kings Cross Station, and your aunt and uncle  
_ _pick you up, Harry. I don't know whether they're used to owl post._

 _Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this falls into the wrong hands.  
_ _I have some doubt about the owl's reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem  
_ _eager for the job._

 _I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me  
_ _here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts,  
_ _so that the security on the castle will be lifted._

 _There is something I never got round to telling you, Harry, during our brief meeting. It was  
_ _I who sent you the Firebolt_ –

'Ha!' said Hermione triumphantly. 'See! I _told_ you it was from him!'

'Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?' said Ron. 'Ouch!'

The tiny owl, who had been hooting happily in Ron's hand, had given his finger what I assume he thought was an affection nip.

 _Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take  
_ _the gold from Gringotts vault number seven hundred and eleven – my own. Please consider  
_ _it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather. For you, Jenna, there will be  
_ _a delivery waiting for you when you get back home that I have asked Remus to take care  
_ _of. I hope you like it, and that it'll make up for all your birthdays I missed as well._

 _I would also like to apologise for the fright I think I gave you, that night last year when you  
_ _left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey  
_ _north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you. I also must apologise for Diagon Alley, when  
_ _I mistakenly attacked you. It wasn't until I looked into your eyes that I realised who you  
_ _could be, but Remus denied me finding out for sure when I visited your home, for understandable  
_ _reasons._

 _I am enclosing something else for you both, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts  
_ _more enjoyable._

And sure enough there were two more pieces of parchment saying the same thing:

 _I, Sirius Black, Jenna Black's father, hereby give her permission to visit Hogsmeade at weekends._

'That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!' beamed Harry at me.

'Hang on,' I said, pointing at the letter. 'There's a P.S. …'

 _I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat._

Ron's eyes widened as he looked at the tiny owl, who was still hooting with pure ecstasy.

'Keep him?' he repeated. He looked warily at the owl then, to our surprise, he held it out for Crookshanks to sniff. 'What d'you reckon?' Ron asked him. 'Definitely an owl?'

Crookshanks purred in response.

'That's good enough for me,' said Ron. The owl hooted loudly. It finally wriggled out of Ron's hand and went zooming around the compartment once more. 'He's mine.'

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. We gathered our various trunks and owls, the tiny new addition having to be stowed away in Scabbers' former cage that Ron still had, and disembarked from the train with the rest of the students. We joined the queue and were allowed to cross through the barrier and back into the Muggle world. Ahead of us I could see the familiar red hair of Mr and Mrs Weasley as they waited for Ron and his brothers and sister; a good few feet away from them I saw Harry's aunt and uncle, both of whom looked decidedly suspicious of the nearby Weasleys; Hermione's parents were talking to a nearby elderly lady with a strange hat on I recognised, and I guessed that might have been Neville's grandmother; finally, making his way towards us, I saw my Granddad coming to collect me as Lupin was probably in bed recovering still.

'I'll call about the World Cup!' Ron yelled as he and the Weasleys departed. Hermione also waved goodbye and left with her parents. Harry remained with me as I waited for my Granddad to reach us, pushing his trolley over to his uncle. In his hand, he still had Dad's letter.

'What's that?' snarled Vernon when he saw it. 'If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another –'

'It's not,' said Harry cheerfully. 'It's a letter from my godfather, Jenna's dad.'

'Godfather?' spluttered Vernon. His beady eyes stared between the two of us. I was surprised that Vernon recognised my name, considering the last time he probably saw me was when Harry and I were in primary school together. He clearly hadn't forgotten me though, the weird child who used to hang around with Harry. 'You haven't got a godfather. And wasn't this girl,' he said, pointing at me, 'that orphan from your school?'

'Yes, she is,' said Harry, 'and her father is my godfather. He was my Mum and Dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with us, though … keep up with my news … check I'm happy …'

The look of horror that crossed Vernon's face was quite priceless I had to admit. But as he turned away, grabbed Harry's aunt by the arm and dragged her back up the station, I turned to Harry.

'Was that really necessary?' I asked quietly. My Granddad had just reached us.

'To see the look on his face?' said Harry. 'Definitely.'

I rolled my eyes and picked up my trunk to hand to my Granddad. Taking Gizmo's cage, I waved goodbye to Harry and followed my Granddad out of the station while he ran after his aunt and uncle. Before we even left the station, I was already wondering what the next year would bring, hoping that maybe – just maybe – we might have a quiet year at Hogwarts next year.

* * *

AN: Well that is Prisoner of Azkaban finished. I am aware about the slightly pointless decision to remove the Invisibility Cloak when they got out into the grounds when Harry, Hermione and Jenna are rescuing Buckbeak, but the way I see it, as the others don't, which will hopefully clear this up is that Hermione heard Malfoy's voice and broke cover to confront him with Harry and Ron ditching the Cloak to chase her, and then the infamous punch that I couldn't leave out. I hope you have enjoyed the new and improved POA chapters, I certainly have, and I have enjoyed writing the newer bits even more, especially developing Jenna's relationship with Lupin and her independence away from the trio. Let me know if you've enjoyed it too.


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